Don't get shocked by your electic bill

This came from the 9/12/06 newsletter from Everyday Cheapskate by Mary Hunt. It used to be free, but I think now you have to "join." The current website is http://www.debtproofliving.com/

I came this close to requiring resuscitation when I looked at this month's electricity bill. I remember when our rent was less than the $230 I saw after the words "Amount Due."

How on earth could that happen? How could two people living in a modest home in Southern California possibly use that much energy? My emotions ran from embarrassment to anger. And then I got a high-voltage burst of determination to make sure this doesn't happen next month.
We've gotten lazy. We leave lights on needlessly and set the air-conditioning thermostat too low even though it has been hot. And now we are paying for it. But we are back on track doing all the things we know to do to keep our usage and our bill down to a reasonable level.

TURN OFF LIGHTS WE ARE NOT USING: This is a no-brainer and certainly one of the easiest measures of all. It is the key step to achieving a conservation mind-set. Just flipping a switch stops the waste of power.

CUT BACK ON THE LIGHTS WE DO USE: I'm the worst when it comes to turning on all of the lights in the room. We will be opting for lamps and task lighting instead of general room lighting whenever possible.

ADJUST THE THERMOSTAT: An air conditioner uses a tremendous amount of electricity when it runs, as does electric heat. During the hot months, we are committed to setting it at 78 F and at 68 F during the winter and leaving it there. As a rule of thumb, every degree you lower a thermostat's set temperature will save 3 percent of energy costs over a 24-hour period.

MAINTAIN THE REFRIGERATOR AND FREEZER: Because these appliances are the biggest energy users in our home, we need to make sure they are running at maximum efficiency. I checked, and sure enough both were set to the highest setting, which makes them run nearly all the time. I set them back to reasonable levels, and I will be defrosting our standalone freezer this weekend. It is way past due, and that, too, makes it use more power.
USE THE OVEN AND STOVETOP LESS: There are many times that the microwave, slow cooker and toaster oven will work just as well for our meal preparation as the standard oven and stovetop. The smaller appliances use a great deal less energy.

TURN COMPUTERS OFF: It used to be that computers would wear out prematurely if they were turned on and off routinely. But technology has improved to the point at which it makes no difference in the computer's longevity. So the best advice is to turn it off when it's not in use to save energy.

RUN ONLY FULL LOADS: I have fallen into the habit of running less than full loads in the washing machine and the dishwasher. But no more! I'm sure by being careful to wait for a full load, we'll be running those appliances half as often in the coming month.

Even though these measures may appear as though they will give us only minor relief from our staggering electric bill, the cumulative effect should make a significant difference. I'll keep you posted.