We recently moved and I ended up on the electric company’s website signing up for ebills and browsing. While I was on the site I realized that it contained a wealth of information that could save me a significant amount of money over time. I realize my energy site is Maryland specific, but a quick look at sites in a few other states showed similar features.
First there were energy saving tips and information about which appliances are energy hogs in the home. Here are a few of the summer tips.
- Have a professional perform routine maintenance on your heat pump or central
air conditioning unit, and have any problems repaired right away. - Change or replace air filters monthly.
- If you have central air conditioning, for every degree you raise your thermostat setting
above 72°F, you will save about 5-7% on cooling costs. - Set the thermostat at 78°F or higher during the summer months.
- Close blinds during the day to block heat, and open them at night to let heat escape.
- Consider using fans, which use much less power, as an alternative to an air conditioner.
The site also had several interactive calculators that allowed you to compute savings and compare energy use from year to year.
There was also a list of programs you could enroll in to help you save money, like a time of use plan. This seems like a great plan for those who are gone during the day. There is also the Peak Rewards program, that cycles your air conditioner during the summer months during peak times. By signing up for this program you save money on your bill as well as receive a rebate.
The company also offers rebates and discounts on energy saving products listed on their site.
The most interesting information I found on the site was the energy choice section. In Maryland (and I am sure in other states) you can choose your supplier. The website listed several competing companies and their web address to compare prices. I didn’t have a chance to see if I could find a better deal through another provider, but it is definitely something I am going to research in the near future.
By spending 15 minutes on the website, I am now full of ideas on how to reduce our energy bill and I am aware of the problem areas in the new house. I cannot wait to start implementing some of the ideas and saving money.
In addition, Ceiling fans should turn counter-clockwise in the summer and clockwise in the winter. The counter pulls the hot air up and vice versa.
That is something I didn’t know. I’ll have to see how my ceiling fans turn!
I wish we could keep our air at higher than 72 in the summer. My son overheats so easily that we have to keep it between 70 and 72 just to keep him from getting heat stroke. On the plus side in the winter we can keep the heat really low.
I realize not everyone can keep their air at a higher temperature. Good thing you can save in the winter!
Toni
I keep my air higher during the day and lower at night. I can’t stand being hot while I’m trying to sleep. We can all use any ideas to help save money, especially right now.
We use a programmable thermostat so that our heat/air automatically adjust during the day when we aren’t home. If for some reason we are home, it’s easy enough to override the setting for the day.
I live in Alabama and our power company just finished a pilot program for energy consumption. The power company will send a representitive to our home and spend around 2 hours checking to see what we can do to lower our electric bill. After they finish, they leave you with a checklist of things that need to be improved and will reimburse us up to 500.00 of the cost to fix what is on the list. I am really excited about this!
I had no idea our power company did anything like this but had read on other blogs from other states of similar programs and decided to call and see if our state offered anything similar. No harm in calling and checking it out!!
Toni, I live in MD. I know several people that have the time of use meters and they are a pain. The highest cost for electricity with that type of meter is during the day time Monday – Friday. The mid range is early evening while the lowest is overnight, weekends and national holidays. The people I know that have them save all their laundry and vacuuming for the weekends to reduce the cost. Since my dh is off work on weekends that’s not how I want to spend that time. I’m pretty sure they have a $10 charge per month for that meter too. The funny thing is that their bills are not any lower then mine are without the time of use meter. I’m not sure if you still live in BGE teritory since moving but they want to eventually have these meters in all households. We would start to have a monthly surcharge to pay for the meters next year. These meters would save them money because they wouldn’t need meter readers for them so they will lay people off. It seems to me that the new meters should be their responsibility to pay for but BGE is out to get as much money from people as they can. Shouldn’t they be a business expense and a tax write off for them?! Sorry to ramble on but just wanted to let you know that they’re not as good of an idea as they make them out to be.
Hum…I wonder how many different options we have out here in the boonies–lol. That’s awesome!
Mary-
I do live in BG&E territory. I agree the time of use only works for a small number of people. My mil once had the peak rewards program and ended up ripping the unit from her wall one hot summer day because she was sick of her a/c turning off and on, or so the story goes.
BG & E has taken the heat lately about a lot of their programs. I am wondering if you have looked into finding another provider? I am considering it, but it seems like a huge hassle to figure out the cost/ benefit!
Toni
Time of use plans seem to vary widely … My plan is great. In Arizona our a/c runs a lot but I still save a lot and each bill shows you how much you used and saved during on and off peak times. On peak (higher charges) is from Noon to 7pm and off peak (lower charges) is from 7 pm to noon the next day. I run dishwasher after seven and vaccuum before noon etc… I am home all day and still save so for me it is worth it. Weedkends and holidays are also off peak.
I also do the Equalizer plan. It takes what you pay on average all year and splits it into even monthy payments. But no worries you see each month how much your actual cost is and you basically have a running tab. It took me a while to be comfortable with the idea but now that I see how it works it makes monthly budgeting much easier. They re-assess your usage every quarter or so to make sure it is accurate.
hmm, let’s see lights or no lights, lol!
We only use the ac at night when sleeping. We have a small window unit that is only pluged in when we head into the bedroom and is unpluged when we wake up. The rest of the time is fan only and that is in very hot humid Florida you get used to it. Also if you use a cell phone or recharge a computer unplug the charger when the item is not attached saves about 5 bucks a month.
Janet-
I am impressed. I grew up in Florida and it is hot! I am sure you enjoy your low power bills!
Toni
Toni ~ I can see myself doing the same thing as your mil did!
Yes, I have looked into other providers. I actually just looked into it again a few minutes ago. Most people seem to go with WGES. They have a program with year round rates of 10.80 cents per kwh. In comparison, BGE’s summer rate is 11.830 cents per kwh and the winter rate is 11.814 cents. Those rates are from BGE’s website but my last bill has 11.97 cents per kwh as the price to compare. Hmmm, that’s strange isn’t it? I can’t figure out how they came up with that figure.
Dh and I have discussed switching but our electric bills are not high. Our house is well insulated and we have very energy efficient windows. It’s just dh and I and we try to conserve as best as we can. I like the house cool so we keep the heat at 69 in the winter and the ac at 74 in the summer. Our dryer, stove and water heater are all gas. Dh works from home and has his computer on an average of 16 hours a day. We also have a hot tub and a pond that has a filter running all the time. We’re on budget billing and our current monthly payment is $164. We’re pretty pleased with that so we haven’t switched.
Just a few years ago we were only paying 4 cents per kwh. That sure was nice!
Toni my husband is a truck loader in a warehouse a cold house because of ac would also be a big shock to his system. Our combined bill from out city for Electric, water. sewer and garbage pick up is under 180 a month, not really sure I like the idea that is is all combined.
My Dallas neighborhood hasn’t been de-regulated, so we don’t get to choose our electricity provider. When I first learned this, after we’d purchased our house, I was really concerned that we’d be charged an arm and a leg. However, our electric bill is half that of my parents who live in a similar size house.
When I get the chance I love to browse your website. It’s interesting that I had a few minutes today. Thank you for telling people t change their air filters. It’s amazing to me how many people don’t even know this is important and it will save you money!!! This is going to be a bit commercial sounding but it totally relates so bear with me. I think it might be of interest and helpful to your readers. My husband and I started a website business that provides air filters for your home that show up at your door when it’s time to change them. These are 90 day filters, competitively priced with Lowe’s and Home Depot (actually lower priced) AND for the rest of this month, shipping is free on any filter orders for the rest of the year (so you would rec’v at least one more shipment with free shipping). People love this service because it helps save their HVAC system, reminds them to care for it and helps them breathe cleaner air. Up front it may not sound thrifty but if you research it especially with this special we are running, it’s better than going to the store yourself. FYI – others have asked and no, there is no membership fee, check it out and let me know what you think. I’d love your feedback:) Thanks for all you blog. I appreciate your ideas. Have a GREAT day!
Silly me, thought the website would post when I entered above…www.primetimefilters.com. Thanks.
I used to live in Maryland when I was single and I had a roommate who participated in that plan. It actually worked out very well for us because we were both working during the day. We had Pepco, though, not BG&E.
There should be a switch somewhere near the base of the fan that switches the direction.
Don’t get dizzy watching the direction ;0)
I have looked into different providers a couple of times. Things that I don’t like is that here they lock you into a 2-4 year contract and most of the time the savings are really much, if any. Especially with our Gas-the other providers give you a really good deal in the summer when I hardly use any gas at all, but come winter, the rates are worse than Columbia Gas.
I tend to agree, April. I do as much as feasibly possible to keep our energy bills down, but it still runs about $300 per month in the summer. We had a home energy audit done & they found nothing to improve in our house. I don’t know if energy costs have tripled in all places, but I know that ours have. We’ve been in this house since 2001 & the bills have only gotten higher.
That’s not to say that I disagree with Toni either. I believe in doing everything feasible to reduce energy bills. I’ve been thru every tool on my energy companies site too & I have evaluated all of the options.
Oh to have $164 bill and run the a/c at 74!
Your cost per KwH is probably an average as the rates no doubt are tiered. For example: the first 1000 KwH has one rate, then there’s at least two more tiers (at least that I have seen in most companies). So your rate doesn’t match their rate because they probably are showing you an average across their consumption tiers. Clear as mud, right?
The tip about ceiling fans made me laugh! Down here in hell, I mean Texas, we have to use ceiling fans AND a/c and our bills are through the roof (no pun intended). If we only used ceiling fans, we would roast faster than a turkey in a convection oven. It is good info, though. Comparing prices between companies is always smart!
I used to run $40 bills in Phx when all my neighbors had $120 bills. Boy I miss those days.
I am amazed at how well using a fan and keeping the blinds closed is!! I wrote a few things about keeping the house cool and many f the ideas alspo are energy savers too!
http://www.beautifulcalling.ca/2009/07/sizzling-summer-keeping-cool.html
Melinda – I love the idea of not having to chase filters down, but I have NEVER had a 90-day filter last more than 30.
Anne-Marie-
Quit making things so complicated! Actually the main company in MD does a pretty good job of making things pretty complicated, I think it is so we can’t figure out if it is cheaper to switch, lol!
Toni
I agree, in some spots a fan and a/c is needed. Even in Maryland we enjoy our ceiling fans quite a bit in the summer months! Do you find that if you run your ceiling fans you can set your thermostat a few degrees higher? Just wondering…
Toni
Jenn- I agree. I just bought some of the eclipse brand curtains and they really make a difference. I am trying to figure out a way to do an actual experiment, but my family is objecting to turning off the a/c for two days to try it out. I wonder why, lol!
Toni
Anne-Marie, Without addressing your situation specifically – since I don’t know all your circumstances – I asked my husband about this (he’s the guru). He said most pleated filters are rated for 90-days based on typical/average use. However, here are a few circumstances that can potentially shorten the effective life of a 90 day filter, 1).if the HVAC fan is always running (as opposed to being on “Auto” or 2). if their are pets in the home (with a lot of hair) or 3). homes with relatively high humidity. In addition filters with a higher MERV rating remove more particles from the air which in specific environments can limit the effectiveness of that filter sooner than a filter with a lower MERV rating. The quality of the filter can also impact the life of that filter. BTW http://www.primetimefilters.com sells only high quality DuPont filters and they can be shipped every 30, 60 or 90 days to meet the various needs of our customers. (AND shipping is free on each filter order through the end of the year;) see our site for more details on our August promo)
My parents told us to have the routine maintenance thing done on our a/c and heating units, and I did both at once in the spring (thinking I would save money b/c the tech would only have to make one trip), and we were charged full price for both services — $328!!!!! There’s no way we could save that much money (3 months worth of winter gas heating costs) by having the maintenance done. I learned a BIG lesson about always getting a quote, even when it’s a company you’ve used before and that’s owned by a local Christian businessman. I’ve never been more shocked in my life by the sticker price! Shop around for the maintenance if you’re going to try it.
I’d have to agree with Anne-Marie. I’d have a hard time leaving a filter in 90 days. To save a pile of money over disposal filters, pick yourself up a washable filter. These have lifetime warranties (Think: the last filter you’ll ever need to buy): http://bit.ly/3jvOBq
Katie-
Yikes! I wonder, is there a way to do routine maintenance yourself to save money?
I spent the first 27 years of my life in the deep south as well as Cuba and Panama. I am very familiar with heat and humidity. That is one reason I don’t live there anymore. I prefer 2 months of 90+ degree weather over 4 or 5. Actually in Cuba it was 12 mos, but no humidity.
Yes, that about sums it up here:)
I do know there is a plan that you pay the same about each month and at the end of the year they will look at the actual reading and if you over paid you get that money back. Don’t know how “good” that plan is.
I know here in the boonies we just have to learn where to cut things to make the energy bill less
We set our thermostat at 80 this year and the cost savings have been dramatic. My highest (BGE) bill so far was $148 – last year we hit $190 in the summer months. Here are some of the other things we’ve discovered.
Ceiling fans are a big help. Turn them off when you leave the room – they don’t reduce the actual temperature but they make you feel much cooler.
Open up your house early in the day when it is cool, then close the windows and blinds as it warms up.
Keep lights off (especially those hot overhead floodlights) to keep rooms cooler. It’s amazing how much heat those lightbulbs put out!
Small fans help on those nights when you just can’t cool off.
I found some great ideas on lowering my electric bill in this article. My last bill was a LOT higher than I was expecting so this was great timing
Thanks for sharing the tips!!!!
It’s definitely something we’re looking into next time our appliances are “due” for it! I did find a website to teach us how to flush our hot water heater, so that’s a start. http://frugallygreen.org/2009/08/08/improve-your-water-heater-efficiency-and-save-125-a-year/
Anne-Marie, we don’t have tiered rates here. We pay the same per kwh no matter how much or how little we use. By the time you add in all the fees we pay almost 16 cents per kwh. Ouch, that hurts just looking at that figure!
Thanks for your post. We also live in Maryland and just spent a few minutes researching our options for distribution and switched estimating we will save about $20 a month. We used these two websites, they should work for you as well:
http://webapp.psc.state.md.us/intranet/supplierinfo/electricsupplier_new.cfm
and
http://www.opc.state.md.us/assets/documents//Electric%20Supplier%20Prices%20August%202009.pdf
Definitely need to send this along to my friends that don’t live in base housing.
I have a friend that is getting a new ac unit installed soon, too.
Are you paying for utilities yet on base? They just started the program here.
Toni