Comments on: Were We Able to Reduce our Electric Bill?

By: Sid

Sid — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:55:20 +0000

I cry when I see my electricity bill(Toronto hydro)I donâ€™t know why they sent me bill too ‘much, my bill comes bimonthly which is $620.90 include tax, last five to six month I’m receiving almost same amount. I tried to call and explain what I’m using but every time they said well Toronto hydro job only reading check, maintenance, fix the metre that’s all they do and rest of the belling retailer company does you have to call and ask well again I call them they said our job fix rate plan blah blah blah…. back and fourth no one taking responsibility. Please any one here helps me out where I do and what I have to do…plz plz to much amount. I hope someone going to be help. Thanks

By: A Few Changes Made a Big Difference in Our Electric Bill » Blogging Away Debt

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:27:39 +0000

[...] in March, I was pretty fed up with our electric bill. It was getting closer and closer to the $100/month mark. For us, that is too much money to power [...]

By: Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:24:47 +0000

$91 and you’re complaining? My electric & gas bill from National Grid which is due Thursday is $502.99 (that’s for 2 months).

By: Computer » My Favorite Post-its: Links I Like

Computer » My Favorite Post-its: Links I Like — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:33:03 +0000

[...] Blogging Away Debt has a fun and insightful piece about her efforts to lower the monthly electric bill. [...]

By: Deby

Deby — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:47:28 +0000

I don’t know if your power company would have the same program, but several years ago my electric company was offering a free service where they would come out and evaluate your home for ways to save energy. I had them come out and check out the house I was renting at the time. They made sure the water heater was well insulated and at the right temperature, checked the windows for caulking, and gave me some insulators for the wall sockets, among other things. It did amount to a modest savings on my monthly bill, and best of all it was free! It would pay for you to call your power company and see what services they offer.
Another thing my electric company does is offer free shade trees. They even dig the holes! Very much appreciated to protect us from our infamous “California Sunshine”

By: Melinda

Melinda — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 05:15:19 +0000

I don’t have heat in my bedroom, so I use a heating pad (less than $20) plus a down comforter. It shuts off automatically after 1 hour, in case you forget to turn it off. I’m in CA, so it doesn’t get as cold here.

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 14:45:53 +0000

Yep – it was your space heater. Those things are killers on the electric bill.

Do you have a down throw? My old apartment had a really cold bedroom that I used as an office. Instead of a space heater I wrapped a down throw around my shoulders so it covered my torso and legs, with my arms sticking out so I could type. That kept me warm enough that I could type at the computer and not have to use a space heater. I got my throws at Sears and Kohl’s two years ago. They may have them on clearance now.

By: Nikki

Nikki — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:10:05 +0000

I work at an electric company in Maryland, and they do tell us that space heaters can use alot of electric if you have the type that blows with a fan the entire time it is on. The kind with the thermostat on them though shouldn’t run it up too bad. A few tips they tell us at work that are supposed to help lower your electric bill is to buy an insulating blanket for your hot water heater (I just bought one for $17 at Lowe’s) and to buy foam insulation for pipes under the house if you have any (usually $2 to $3 each from Lowe’s).

By: Colleen

Colleen — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 15:18:46 +0000

I live in MA. My electric bill in the summer is about $20/month. I use a parabolic space heater in the winter for extra heat and my bill goes up to $50. I am glad to pay an extra $30/month to keep warm and toasty (the heater is awesome) but it’s shocking that it increases the bill over 100 percent!

I’m a newcomer to your blog and I appreciate your posts, they are very interesting in terms of looking at a budget from all perspectives and with all the events that life throws at ya. Thanks for your writings.

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:05:09 +0000

I wouldn’t bother unplugging your microwave oven. When not in use I think that the microwave oven draws almost no power at all and isn’t worth the hassle of unplugging and then replugging it back in.

By: Catherine Moore

Catherine Moore — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:58:34 +0000

One thought for you – how old is your space heater? I suspect, like most things, newer ones are more efficient. You might find the article at http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20000124_heater.htm tm useful reading.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:45:09 +0000

as far as saving electricity goes, try the kill-a-watt electricity usage monitor. I haven’t had an electric bill under $100 for years and I use it to see what things draw the most current in an attempt to keep the costs down. I think I paid about $30 for it somewhere online.

By: Tricia

Tricia — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 23:26:14 +0000

Man, I really didn’t think the space heater would have killed our bill that badly. But it’s appearing to be the culprit. I was pretty warm in my office, except for my fingers. They were freezing and I type almost all day.

The only way that room gets heat is from keeping the door open and letting the heat come in from the rest of the house. It always runs cooler but the cold spell we had really froze that room. We were thinking of trying to get heat run to that room for a couple years, but we haven’t had the funds. Perhaps that is something to look into doing this summer if we can. With how our house it laid out, it *shouldn’t* be a problem. But, that’s my unprofessional opinion LOL.

I am very much looking forward to warmer weather

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 23:14:48 +0000

Darn those space heaters. I used one last year, thinking it would lower my electric bill. Eep – it doubled. Is there another way to direct heat into your office? How about a second pair of socks and a layer of thermal underwear?

Spring will come soon!

By: Nerdy

Nerdy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 17:46:52 +0000

I live in MI too, utility bills are always a thrill here aren’t they? The space heater and extremely cold weather killed your bill. March should be better but you may want to check to see if there are ways to better insulate your house, that will pay off quickly.

By: CreditShack

CreditShack — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 17:39:51 +0000

I don’t think your computers impact your electric bill as much as you think they do.

Looking at *max* power consumption stats from my own computer:
1 x Computer = 250W
2 x LCD monitors = 50W x 2 = 100W

Maximum power consumption is 350W in total. That’s equivalent to about 6 incandescent light bulbs.

Assuming you’re paying 8Â¢ per KWh, it costs about 3Â¢ per hour to run your computer at maximum power consumption. Actual power consumption is usually lower when the processor is near idle (e.g. surfing the internet, using MS Office), hard drives spin down, or monitors go into sleep mode.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 17:01:45 +0000

I can guarantee the space heater is what killed you. My roommates once went out and bought two without telling me because our deadbeat landlord wouldn’t fix the heat in their rooms. Imagine my surprise when I opened up the $1200 electric bill!

I kid you not!