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Keep everything not being used unplugged or strips turned off. Check and adjust fridge temperature. I normally aim for 39-40 in the fridge, I wouldn't recommend over 41 or so. We have hot summers and cold winters, we use heavy curtains over windows to help insulate, our windows are old and terrible. Close hvac vents in unused rooms and shut doors. We keep our a/c around 75-78. Use fans and keep windows open when weather allows. We spend a lot of time in public places during the hottest and coldest parts of the year, and adjust/turn off hvac. We normally turn hvac off at night or adjust to run less. July in Kansas, our last bill was $85 for 4 people, but it was unusually cool. All electric home, no solar, etc.. our home is not well insulated either. You can save all the electricity in the world if you don't use anything.
Check and adjust fridge temperature. I normally aim for 39-40 in the fridge, I wouldn't recommend over 41 or so.
The FDA advises that for food safety reasons, refrigerators should be adjusted to 40F or below. 39-40 is good. "41 or so," not so good.
Besides the food safety issue, there's definitely a law of diminishing returns if you set a higher temperature, because the higher the temperature, the faster food spoils. Even a few degrees makes a difference. I shared a house once with a miserly guy who insisted on keeping his refrigerator on 45 "to save money," and it was unbelievable how quickly my food went "off" in that fridge.
The FDA advises that for food safety reasons, refrigerators should be adjusted to 40F or below. 39-40 is good. "41 or so," not so good.
Besides the food safety issue, there's definitely a law of diminishing returns if you set a higher temperature, because the higher the temperature, the faster food spoils. Even a few degrees makes a difference. I shared a house once with a miserly guy who insisted on keeping his refrigerator on 45 "to save money," and it was unbelievable how quickly my food went "off" in that fridge.
If I lived close to a fresh market I wouldn't even own a frig, perhaps a very small one is all if anything.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cida
I'm sure there are entire books on the subject that would be more helpful than anything we could mention, but here's one funny thing I've been stuck doing. I'm having some problems with my television turning off, so when I'm done watching, I have to unplug the whole stupid thing. I also use this as a ploy to watch less television. Anyway, since the instant on-off uses energy at all times, I must be saving quite a bit of electricity.
I imagine the best thing most people could do would be to drive less.
You may be surprised to know that the average modern 50" LED TV uses only 195kWh a year, or about $21.
Good energy savings come from upgrading appliances if the old ones are more than 5-6 years old. In the last year we have replaced the stove, microwave, washer, dryer, freezer, and dishwasher. All use substantially less electricity (and water) than the old ones that were 10-15 years old. We are also gradually replacing the CFL bulbs with LED which use half the electricity. The payback is not good, with the high cost of all this and our electricity being only about 6 cents/kWk but we do it anyway.
Toaster oven for small things.
Repair rather than replace broken appliances (keeps them out of landfills).
Restored old flooring in the house rather than replacing it (keeps it out of landfills).
Have had the same car for 7 years and counting.
I cut the grass only every other week and water twice a month (that is all we're allowed to water).
I don't grow vegetables in my yard due to severe water restrictions. I only grow herbs that can survive in our harsh climate.
I combine errands to cut down on car trips.
I flush only every other #1.
I recycle every recyclable scrap of ANYTHING. For items not collected curbside, I stack them in the garage then drop them off at a recycling center that's on the way to the supermarket.
I buy soda in cans instead of plastic bottles; cans are better for recycling.
I never buy bottled water.
I put out all yard clippings for collection; they are chipped or composted and re-used.
Any new major appliance I buy is energy star rated.
I run the dishwasher only when completely full. It uses less water/power than I would if I washed by hand.
I line-dry items whenever practical.
I make my own household cleaners...keeps all those plastic bottles out of landfills.
I set my thermostat at 80-82F in summer and 68F in winter.
I pre-treat stains or mend clothing instead of discarding it, and I have shoes re-soled or repaired rather than buying new.
I recycle all batteries and CFLs.
Most light bulbs in my house are CFLs; the only ones that aren't are incandescents that haven't burned out yet.
I "catch" water in the kitchen sink from rinsing things or washing my hands and throw it on the lawn. I also do this with my mop water. (It doesn't hurt the grass.)
I try to stay mindful of the fact that if I replace anything in my house, the item I'm discarding is likely to end up in a landfill. So I make things last as long as I possibly can. I prefer to sell or give things away rather than throwing them away. And if something doesn't HAVE to be replaced, I'm not likely to replace it at all. I don't like my kitchen floors or the counters, but they're in usable shape so I can't bring myself to tear them out and replace them...since they'll clutter up a landfill. I don't garden so I don't have a compost heap and I rarely throw food away anyway. Food usually doesn't have a chance to spoil in my fridge; I've developed pretty tight shopping/meal planning techniques over the years.
Cut your grass around 3 to 4 inches tall. It'll hold in more moisture. My car is on 12 years old now. Will replace it next year with a more efficient car. Unless we do #2 in the toilet, we don't flush after bedtime until morning. There are some flushing valves that allow you to do a low water flush for urine. Haven't tried them yet.
You may be surprised to know that the average modern 50" LED TV uses only 195kWh a year, or about $21.
Good energy savings come from upgrading appliances if the old ones are more than 5-6 years old. In the last year we have replaced the stove, microwave, washer, dryer, freezer, and dishwasher. All use substantially less electricity (and water) than the old ones that were 10-15 years old. We are also gradually replacing the CFL bulbs with LED which use half the electricity. The payback is not good, with the high cost of all this and our electricity being only about 6 cents/kWk but we do it anyway.
6 cents/kWh is a pretty damn good price.
Dryers are not more efficient here in the USA yet, in Europe they are as their dryers recycle the heat back into the system; they are scheduled to start being sold here in the US shortly. About 8 months ago I purchased new HE front loader washer and matching dryer. I returned those two and just went with a smaller top loading washer, uses less energy than the HE front loader and I simply air dry my clothes now, no need for a dryer.
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