We have a new contest huh? Okay, I'm going to enter this into the 'The Best Way To...' Contest.
The best way to cut electricity costs is to keep a somewhat eternal vigil on usage, wouldn't you say? I know there are big things you can do like buying Energy Star products, etc., but in the meantime or afterwards, is there a way for the ECONOMIZER in us to keep the electrical costs under control?
I've been thinking about this for a few days and I've come up w/a small idea. Alrighty guys and girls, every now and again I am going to alert us to a challenge such as the Flylady HotSpot Alerts.
I'm going to call this thing The Whack A Mole Electrical Challenge. Do you remember those games? Pop one mole on the head and another pops up?
That's what my electricity usage is like.
I think I have things under control but one sweep thru the house reveals a number of items that I can turn off, unplug so there is no phantom usage, etc.
Here I go - it's early morning here with showers and breakfast over...
Okay, I'm back -- I turned off:
1)desk lamp off
2)calculator off
3)computer speaker off
4)printer/copy machine off
5)bedside fan off
6)nightstand lamp off
7)living room TV off
8)living room overhead light off
9)kitchen TV unplugged
10)coffee pot unplugged
11)hair dryer unplugged
12)kitchen night light off
13)utility room night light off
14)bathroom night light off
15)microwave unplugged
YIKES!!!
See why we need to keep whacking that electricity mole????
Okay, your turn. Come back and tell me what all you were able to turn off or unplug!
Then stay ready, because you never know when I'll pop a Whack A Mole Electrical Challenge on you! ummmm...you might want to let your family in on this game, because there might be minor disgust from the spousal unit when one finds the microwave unplugged REPEATEDLY. Don't ask me how I know!
What's in your electrical outlets?
Go, Go, GO!!!! Whack Those Moles!!
January 11th, 2008 at 02:41 pm 1200062515
My entire computer setup and desk lantern is on a power strip that is plugged to an outlet, controlled by a wall switch. The neat thing is, when I come home, I just flip on the switch and voila! Every comes alive. And when I go to bed, after shutting off the computer, I simply flip the switch again, and everything is literally turned OFF. No standby, no energy sipping, nothing.
January 11th, 2008 at 02:45 pm 1200062723
January 11th, 2008 at 02:48 pm 1200062926
@Denise - you can still run thru and turn off things such as lights in rooms that aren't being used that are costing you some on your electricity. Come play with me!! There are 11 things on my list that were sucking $$'s out my pocket just by being turned on. Off they go!!
January 11th, 2008 at 03:05 pm 1200063925
Do you think it might be reasonable to think that we might be able to cut $5 a month off of our electric bill IF we went thru the house every day or even every couple of days? I think that is a reasonable expectation of savings.
So, let's put the old calculators over at the SavingsAdvice Forum to work...
$5 a month savings, or $60 a year at a reasonable 8.0% return. Now granted, it takes a while for it to begin to add up, but it DOES add up.
20 years = $2,746.00
30 years = $5,928.00
40 years = $12,798.00
50 years = $27,629.00
60 years = $59,649.00
80 years = $278,023.00
100 years= $1,295,855.00
Well, some of us don't have 30 or 40 years left, but there are many young enough at the SAblogs to make that 50 to 60 year mark and who knows maybe the 80 years! Those get to be some significant savings just for turning off a few lights and appliances.
100 years of family frugality could end up being quite the little college nest egg for your great-grandkids if one starts early enough!
January 11th, 2008 at 04:11 pm 1200067876
January 11th, 2008 at 05:16 pm 1200071760
January 11th, 2008 at 05:34 pm 1200072850
Ummmm...NO!
My legal advisor says I've got to include this phrasing:
"No Children Are To Be Harmed During this Challenge!
I Repeat No Children Are To Be Harmed."
>>>>>BACK AWAY FROM THE CHILDREN!/BULLHORN>
But if you want to whack them in a pillowfight that'd be okay.
Promise them a pillowfight if they can cut the electricity bill by $5 this month!
January 11th, 2008 at 05:35 pm 1200072942
January 12th, 2008 at 04:00 am 1200110402
I think it would drive me insane if I have plug and unplug everything day in and day out. Is there any way to consolidate most of it? Like to a power strip? But then, I'm single so it's just me most of the time, and the only real electronics I have is just this computer.
January 12th, 2008 at 07:11 am 1200121892
I already run around turning off lights and such and DH is pretty good about that. I might be able to do a few things. I wanna play!!
January 12th, 2008 at 01:11 pm 1200143474
He just grinned.
I frankly just kept uplugging and turning off - just doing it.
He adjusted.
February 9th, 2008 at 09:36 pm 1202593009
Just about everything is a trade-off, so I just wanted to highlight that fact and mention that this is a small concern.