[USER]

How do you lower your electricity bill! Kids are home for the summer plus it’s been heat index over 100°..

so once fall hits, we should go back down some at least.

Summer is always our highest bills. AC on 75°.

Black out curtains every window.

Our electric is on off peak 9a/9p so I run the washer/dryer/dishwasher before 9a or after 9p.

Can’t hang clothes outside as 1 kiddo very allergic to the outside world.

I work from home. Shut d0wn my computer friday-Monday. (Or extended days off)

Electric bill $444.99 is $44.62 less than last month. .

we’re currently now behind $303.94 on our budget billing plan.

What are ways to reduce electricity.

[Connie]

Hang clothes outside anyway! You’re wasting tons of money on the clothes dryer!

The laundry for that particular child can be placed in the dryer on air dry for 10 minutes after you have dried it outside.

Tumbling it in the dryer should help remove allergens.

[Joy]

I just had an energy audit from my utility company and the contractor said the best curtain is a solar thermal curtain liner, not blackout curtains.

He went on to explain that blackout curtains are for blocking light, not heat.

He said they have a white reflective backing.

[Susan]

If you live in a humid climate, get a dehumidifier. It will help A/C pull humidity from air.

Have you cleaned your outdoor a/c unit?

When did you last change your a/c filter?

Unplug what you’re not using.

[DeYon]

Don’t use the oven much…crock pot …air fry…stove top…. microwave…keeps house cooler..

[Tina]

Honestly, I ride it out and cut way down come fall. It was 88 yesterday which is mild for July but with the index it felt like 101.

I use to stay cold so I could handle it being 75 inside, but not anymore.

68-70. I am on budget billing also.

Your doing everything I could suggest.

I stuffed our ceiling exhaust fans with plastic bags because heat was pouring in those.

I tape the switch so they don’t accidentally come on.

[Deb]

I’ve lived in Florida all my life and the heat and humidity can get to you for sure.

Today with the heat index I’m looking at 106°.

And now I’m living on a social security budget so my electric bill cannot under any circumstances go over $160 or I won’t be able to pay it and it will get turned off.

Put your clothes on hangers over the shower curtain rack with an electric fan.

I run AC at about 80- 82, yeah it’s hot but walk outside for a minute and you come back in and it feels fine.

And if I let it run overnight, I turn it off first thing in the morning and leave it off for 2 or 3 hours because the house is still dry and relatively cool because the night was cooler.

And cold running water over your hands for a few minutes and splashed on your face can definitely help you stay cool just like a cool washcloth on the back of the neck.

I have a few personal fans so if i am going to be stationary or washing the dishes or meal prep we can just spot cool ourselves.

Your water heater is usually your second biggest electrical draw in most homes.

If it’s not on a timer you might consider that.

I’m older and live alone.

I’ve learned it takes 20 minutes from when my water heater has been turned off for it to become warm and hot enough for a shower in about 30 minutes.

I turn on the water heater every other day for about an hour during which time I take a shower wash the dishes which I have previously scraped and then rinsed in cold water and left in the sink.

I believe in a dishwasher you probably could use cold water.

You might want to put your hot water heater on a timer, make sure it has some type of insulation around it.

Make sure you’re only using cold water to wash clothing, that means tap cold not just cold if you’re washing machine has that setting. Don’t cook in your oven.

Instapot, Crock-Pot, even a toaster slash convection countertop oven.

These all use less power and give off less Heat that the air conditioner has to fight.

Cook cook double servings when you can, so then you just have to reheat instead of making a whole second meal.

Make sure your refrigerator coils are clean and that there’s enough space around it so that it’s working efficiently with nothing on the top of it blocking air flow.

Pick up some old school games from the thrift store, so the kids can have their computers or TV unplugged and still have some fun.

Also a lot of times we wash our clothes more often than necessary.

I mean I know we change our underwear everyday.

But most of our outer clothes doesn’t really get that dirty and if we put it on a hook or over a hanger and let it air out we can wear it a second or third time sometimes before it needs to get washed
EDIT also like to add that water and electricity both get used for showers and or baths.

Showers should be short, perhaps your children can learn about conserving water and cutting showers down to a certain number of minutes that seems reasonable to you.

Depending on their age set a timer make it a game see how long it takes today and can they beat their time 2 days from now when they take another one

[Bonni]

Maybe take advantage of free things in your community to
Keep the kids out of the house on hotter days?

Is there a pool, library, park?

[Brittney]

Is it on 75 all day? I turn the AC up to 77 during the day and then down at night.

[Han]

My plan has 3 hours a day that the cost is higher. I turn off the a/c for those hours and I bought a clothes line instead of using the dryer.

My estimated bill dropped $125 in 10 days

[Jaded]

Everyone – she mentions she works from home so they probably can’t leave the house during her working hours.

I work in a call center and if I can bring my equipment somewhere but I have to wired to the internet and no one can be looking over my shoulder with credit card numbers.

It just may not be feasible for her to leave the house.

[Kati]

You can hang indoors. I have a clothes rack I use because I live in an apartment and have no outdoor space to do it.

You can cut in other ways to help offset electricity costs.

Second hand clothes, try eating plant based more often, stop buying unnecessary stuff.

Do you really need to try that fancy conditioner or foundation when what you’ve used before is just fine?

Really look into minimalism and zero waste.

There’s a ton of money saving in those lifestyle.

I love the minimal mom on you tube.

It’s also helped my mental health.

[Trudy]

Kids and food:: popcorn, pork and beans, homemade soups, PB&J sandwiches, goulash.

All these are rather easy on the pocket book.

[Amy]

I don’t know if it’s true, but I heard that running major appliances, like washer/dryer, at night is cheaper bc it’s not peak hours.

[Kyley]

Are there any competing electricity providers available? I would also check if you are on float versus a plan and look at the #s for what is best for you

[Carrie]

How old is the AC unit? If it’s more than a couple of years old, do you have it tuned up regularly?

A regular tune up can decrease the amount of energy it uses.

Yes, it costs money, but it should save more overall as well as extending the life of the unit.

[Sasha]

We have found running window units is cheaper than running our AC system and our house stays cooler with them as well.

Granted our unit us older so that may be our issue?

But we do live our window units

[Carol]

Some electric companies let you do average billing, where you pay the same every month based on your previous 12 months of use.

It doesn’t lower your overall payout, but lets you pay an average so you don’t have super high bills during summer.

[Sandi]

Get on the budget plan. Same amount every month summer & winter. Averages out perfectly.

[Shelly]

You can raise your AC to 78. That should help a little more, and unplug anything not in use.

With kids it is hard good luck

[Lisa]

Spend more time outside of the house. Take the family ‘mall walking’ or visit friends and relatives, sit outside when it’s not too hot or go to the park or swim at the beach.

If no one is home, all of the lights should be off, the tv is not on, etc.

Turn the AC to a warmer setting when you are away then cool it off when you get home.

Launder clothing less frequently where you can.

[Valerie]

Don’t use the dishwasher at all. Wash by hand.
-Run the clothes for 10 or 15 minutes in the dryer and then hang them in the bathroom to finish drying.

-Close off unused rooms during the day, even things like bedrooms.

Close the vents so the rooms are not cooled.

-make sure every bulb in the house is an LED and that your TV is also an LED.

Some televisions use a lot less energy than others.

-Turn up the AC by 2°.

[Va]

Make sure the outside unit of your ac unit is clean…if the fins on that are dirty your ac will really struggle to keep the inside cool…

the wall socket plates in your home should have a foam insulation sheet underneath them before they are screwed into place….

thats a bunch of big vent holes if it isnt done…

the caulking around the windows tends to crack over time letting your heat/ac out…

recaulk those that need it

[Author]

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