HELP!! Utility bills are killing us!

[yrekachick]

check temperture on hot water heater..most people run it too high. son just checked his and it was on 150.....110 to 120 is more than adequate.

[bpirkle]

Turning down the temperature on the water heater is good, but also get it flushed. Sediment builds up and settles on the heating element. This makes the heater have to work harder to heat up the water and to keep it hot. We did this in our apartment (because of course they never do it) a few months after we moved in and our bill dropped by $100.

[luckimomma]

I have been doing everything I could to cut our electric bill-water heater is on a timer, only runs 2x a day for a hour or so each time, all the computers, tv's, printers are on power strips that get shut off after use, the new light bulbs, etc. Nothing was helping. Our bills stayed at $130+ all winter. I was scared to death with summer coming.

Just got last months bill. It dropped below $100! The difference? My "old" fridge. By old, it was about 6 years old, and was energy efficient. However, we figured out the compressor was having issues, and the only way I found out were new thermometers in it. Never even thought I needed seperate ones- that fridge had built in ones and they showed consistant temps. They lied!!! The new fridge was the entire drop in my bill.

I just wonder how long the dang thing had been on the fritz. How many hundreds of dollars that stupid fridge cost me...