2011 Frugal Living Challenge! - Week 15 Challenge Posted in #222!

[MoneySavinDiva]

I just want to chime in with my results.
I started unplugging last month and got the bill yesterday.

Our usage from last year went from 60.5 KWH
to 39.9 this year

Thank you for sharing your results! This is great incentive!

[kimandkathess]

Ok, I have a few tidbits of information for all of you.

Here is the definiation of a kilowatt-hour with an example:
kwh or kilowatt-hour The amount of electrical energy actually used over time. For example, ten 100-watt lamps when on for one hour consume 1000 watt-hours or 1 kilowatt-hour (kwh).
Here is a neat site I found that can tell you how much engergy something can use.
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/howmuch.html

Now i have a few questions for some of you.

Does anyone else have an electric company where one month they read and the other month they come out and read?
Mine does that. And they say if they estimate to high or low the one month they will "adjust accordinly" the following month. So if they estimate too high then the next month they will credit my account accordingly to show a lower bill and if they estimate too low they add the extra in on the following month.

My electric company said i use 2126 kwh from the middle of nov. to the middle of dec. Thats like me leaving on 10 of the 100 watt lamps on for 2,126 hrs straight. thats basically saying I am leaving on these 10 lamps for 88 days straight. I work my butt off turning things off! Didnt I do my math right??

Help??!!

[kimandkathess]

if so...how on earth is cody using only 60 when i am using 2,126?

[jenrose]

if so...how on earth is cody using only 60 when i am using 2,126?

Heat is usually the biggest expense if electric. Those with Gas/propane heat will have a lower electric bill. Also you can't just think about lights cause there are a million other things that take electricity to run.

[kimandkathess]

I think I am going to make a list of everything in every room that is plugged in constantly. Then from there, decide what needs to be unplugged when not in use.

Right now heat is going a lot. Its ny and its about 20 degrees. I have a gas furnace but it is run with electricity.

I would LOVE to aim for a goal of $100 electic bill every month but the delivery charges alone are insane! My bill broke down like this.

Customer charge $21.38
Delivery charge $66.44
Transition charge nov -$5.77
Transition charge dec -$0.34
NY STate assestment $4.95
SBC/RPS Charge $9.99
Total deliver charge $96.65

Variable supply charge $101.84
Merchange funciton charge $4.95
Mechange function charge dec. $6.83
Total electricity supply charge $113.62

Taxes and misc charges: $12.53

Making my total bill $221.79! I hate delivery charges.

[cody82414]

Heat is usually the biggest expense if electric. Those with Gas/propane heat will have a lower electric bill. Also you can't just think about lights cause there are a million other things that take electricity to run.

good point!
We spend over $2000+ a year on propane

[kimandkathess]

I have a question. How does a surge protector save energy? I get that everything is plugged into one device and can be turned off. But even when a coffeepot or plug in light is plugged in but off, it still uses power. So how is a normal surge protector save energy if its still plugged in? Does it stop power from going through the cord of the surge protector when turned off....thus stopping the outlet from sucking any energy from the surge protector and everything plugged into it?

[cody82414]

Got two more brags
(I'm so excited)

Just got my water bill
went from $52 to $34.
YIPPEEEEEEE.

Also,
I condensed my third freezer into the other two
so after two seasons of no deer meat
I unplugged the spare freezer

[jenrose]

Got two more brags
(I'm so excited)

Just got my water bill
went from $52 to $34.
YIPPEEEEEEE.

Also,
I condensed my third freezer into the other two
so after two seasons of no deer meat
I unplugged the spare freezer

I bet being out of town for the holidays helped ya there. Great Job. My goal tonight is to clean out the small freezer and put it all into the bigger freezer so I can unplug that one. I currently have space in the big one so there's no sense in wasting the electricity.

And we are supposed to go pick up a ton of pellets tomorrow so I'll need to move the freezer to put those in there for now.

[cody82414]

I bet being out of town for the holidays helped ya there. Great Job.

Yes, that,
plus I KNOW that the older boys spend lots of time in the shower
(if you know what I mean )