Skip to main content

The Results are In

As I had hoped, the warm weather we've had over the past 30 days did indeed result in a drop in our electric bill. From mid-January to mid-February, our usage was 1,817 kilowatts, and from mid-February to mid-March, it was down to 1,119 kw.

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. However, I'd like to do even better. Back in late February, I unplugged a few things -- my alarm clock and the laptop computer when not in use. (Although, in all honesty, I haven't been the best about remembering to unplug the laptop as soon as I get done with it. Hopefully, that becomes a habit soon.) I realize the savings from disconnecting two devices from their power source results in spare change at best, but each penny I don't spend on electricity can be spent elsewhere -- our bills, for instance.

I've got a few more things in mind to unplug: The desktop computer/printer combo and the TV and DVD player in our bedroom. The desktop computer can easily be turned off with the power strip, but I imagine that much like the laptop, developing the habit may take some time. The TV hasn't worked right in years. It shows everything in red, and we rarely use it. The DVD player doesn't work at all.

Maybe next month, we'll have those kilowatts under 1,000.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Washing that Gray Right Outta My Hair

When I turned 37, I tried coloring my hair myself. I had never colored my hair before at all, and the whole thing was a big mess. It dripped everywhere . Rather than try again, I started going to a friend who is a hairdresser to get it done after that. It cost me $30 each time I go, but for me, the cost was worth it. But now, I'm rethinking that expense. Telling my friend I was going to do my own hair wasn't high on my list of things to do. I was afraid she'd think I was unhappy with the way she does it. Well, she's moving away within a few months, so she'll stop doing my hair anyway. I dread the thought of trying it by myself again, but to cut expenses, I should at least give it a try, or just let my hair go gray. Anyone have ideas on which home product is easiest for a newbie?
Post a Comment
Read more

Tackling the Electricity Bill

I got our latest electricity bill this past week. It went up. Again. I don't understand why. It's been a mild winter, so we haven't used the heater as much as last year. Plus, I've made a few small changes that I had hoped would add up to even a slight savings: I've cut down on the time the TV has been on. I haven't been perfect about it, though, because I still turn it on to watch something, decide to work on something else at the same time, then after an hour or so, I realize I'm not watching the TV at all. Wasted electricity. I've unplugged my alarm clock. When we first brought our daughter home, her pediatrician recommended we feed her every two hours for the first week or so. After the first night of pushing an awkward combination of buttons and waiting for the alarm time to advance every couple of hours, I realized it was tons easier to just punch the time into my cellphone alarm. I kept the bedside clock until about two weeks ago. I also unpl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Home Improvements

I've taken a week off in September to finish some home improvement projects that have been in progress for far too long. My challenge between now and then will be to both set aside and earn enough to buy the supplies without having to charge anything. Our biggest expense will be paint. We've got to paint our living room ceiling, living room, kitchen, two bedrooms and one bathroom to have our home "finished." Hopefully we'll be able to get that far with it, but my fear is we'll need longer than a week to complete it all because several walls need to be repaired in places first. I've got a freelance project in progress right now that will give us the bulk of what we'll need, but I don't think it will cover everything. Plus, I have to make sure I don't spend any of it between now and then on "wants."
Post a Comment
Read more