[Homeowners] Got Any Energy Saving Tips You Want to Share?

gas dryer, gas stove, and gas water heater

The previous owner of my house said that the electric dryer is the most energy consuming appliance you'll ever own. Of course, some people can't get a gas connection where they live, so it's a moot point...

 

I set mine at 72 when I wakeup (6:30-8:00). Turn it to 78 when I leave for work (8:00-5:30), then back to 72 (5:30-11:00). Again back to 78 after 11:00. On weekend it is 72 from 8:30AM-11:00 PM and 78 from 11:00-8:30. We have had a hot summer in Indiana and my bill last month was $68, so not too bad.

 

Yea, I'd say that's not too bad. My last bill was $235.

As for energy savings tips, well, I paid $235 last month, so I don't have any.

 

May be the builder wasn't just lying to me when they said they build the only house around here that have the blue star engergy rating. My utility bill have been pretty low and I have a 2500 sf house.

 

Well first, anyone that is still using Reliant as their energy provider is crazy. You can save 10-15% by going with another provider.

www.powertochoose.org

 

Yep me too.. Also for the A/C when I'm out the door for work at 5:30 I kick it up to 78 and when I get home from work around 4-5 it goes back down to 74 and when it's time to go to bed it will be at 68.. the hardest the thing works is when I get back from work.. it runs for about 30 mins.. I'm on that average billing and for a larger house I pay about 250.00 a month all year around.. I can say I had added few inches of insulation to the attic that I had blown in and it saved me a few dollars.. other than buying the newest up to date A/C system and replacing all your windows I don’t know if there is much you can do.. oh yeah, don’t buy a pool.. the damn pumps to keep that that cool in the summer will eat lots of NRG

 

Windows are next on my list for our house. We leave ours set at 74. Has anyone ever used Reliant's balanced billing, where you pay the same amount no matter your usage? It's supposed to equal out between winter and summer usage.

 

Home Depot sells electronic thermostats for like $30 and takes 10 minutes to install by a novice. Once done, all that work is done automatically.

When I lived in a appt, I even installed it there. When I moved out, I put the old one back.

 

Did I say that I set these manually? Umm it is set by the thermostat, my bad.

 

• We installed a digital thermostat (VERY easy) and programmed it so that, on weekdays, it automatically kicks up to 78 and then drops back down to 76 at around 5:00 pm.
  
  
• Turn off lights around the house! Don't leave TV's or computer monitors on - they eat up a LOT of electricity.
  
  
• If you have an electric oven, and if you don't have a large family, start cooking food in a toaster oven. It takes up less electricity and doesn't heat up the kitchen/house like an oven.
  
  
• Close AC vents to rooms in your house that don't need it. Adjust dampers in your AC vents to get proper AC flow to each of the rooms in your house. If there are rooms that you don't visit often, close the vents at the ceiling. You can always open them the next time you use the room (be sure to close them when you're finished).
  
  
• Go up in your attic and make sure that insulation is spread evenly and properly in your attic.
  
  
• Make sure that the attic vents in your house are spinning freely (they're the vents on the top of your house that spin, pulling heat out of your attic). If they're not spinning, heat isn't escaping your attic.
  
  
• Make sure your ceiling fans are turned on constantly and rotating in the proper direction (for most fans, they should be turning counter-clockwise during the summer, and clockwise during the winter).
  
  
• Before going to bed at night, take a trip through your house and make sure everything is turned off.
  
  
• Keep few lamps on during the day when you're home - open the blinds instead (but preferably keep blinds closed if they are in direct sunlight). Keep lamps dim or off in the evening or use low-wattage bulbs.

 

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  I just installed a digital thermostat, but I turn it up to 80 during the day and by 5:30, its 78 and by 8 it's 76...
  
  Can you explain the ceiling fan theory...I always thought it went counter clockwise all year round...

 

Well, supposedly, the reasoning is: in the summer, blow air down onto your body to get a culling effect. In the winter, you don't want to have that cooling effect.

More info here: link

However, I've often wondered about the logic in this reasoning. Heat rises, so what you'll be doing is blowing hot air down onto yourself. And when the hot air comes down, wouldn't that force the cold air up to the ceiling, where it will just heat up? To me, that sounds like a system that will actually increase overall air temperature.

 

Setting and leaving your thermostat on 78 is your best bet for saving money and it is the best value. I don't know the exact science behind it, but I have heard/read it many times that every degree lower then 78 costs your roughly 4% more on your electric bill, and ever degree higher only saves you 1%... and in the energy vs. cost ration 78 is the "median" temp to keep it on, the ol' most bang for the buck scenario.

 

Of course, in Houston, you could have one day in the winter where it's 45 degrees outside and the next day could be 85.

 

My first month's energy bill with Greene Mountain was $300 in my new house.

I'm used to paying $60/month in apartments.

Needless to say I was quite dismayed.

But I' have a ton of windows at my house, and I'm having wooden plantation shutters custom made for all of the windows. Hopefully that will keep the bill down next month.

 

To make up for it, I keep both thermostats set for 86 degrees when i leave the house, and at 80 degrees when i'm in it.

it's like a freakin' sauna!

 

78 may be cheap but it is damn hot!

 

If it is an older house, you may want to call an AC tech to come and take a look at your unit... it could need a tuneup. A 100 dollar AC service can save you thousands in the long run.

 

I have a 1300 sqft townhome. I keep my thermostat at 79 when I am away at work, and 78 when I am at home. I've gotten use to it. If I set the thermostat anywhere below 77, I'm Freezing!!! I also have a digital thermostat and recently had more insulation blown in my attic. I had my highest bill last month $112.