Comments on: Save Energy ~ Save Money

By: TheHappyHousewife

TheHappyHousewife — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:31:57 +0000

Are you paying for utilities yet on base? They just started the program here.
Toni

By: Sherry

Sherry — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:21:54 +0000

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.

By: Justi

Justi — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:28:33 +0000

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

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:54:00 +0000

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!

By: Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship

Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 01:14:35 +0000

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/

By: Serenity

Serenity — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:55:34 +0000

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!!!!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:38:25 +0000

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.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:03:43 +0000

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

By: TheHappyHousewife

TheHappyHousewife — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:14:11 +0000

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.

By: TheHappyHousewife

TheHappyHousewife — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:31:09 +0000

Katie-
Yikes! I wonder, is there a way to do routine maintenance yourself to save money?