Power Bills

Turning Off – Or turning things down 

Are you suffering from sticker shock when you get the power bill?  We are all ‘hooked up and wired’ and basically spoiled when it comes to being plugged in.   What can we do to reduce the kilowatt hours?

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Did you ever look around the house as you turn in for the night?  Do you notice how many lights are on and will stay on all the time?  All the oven clocks, cable boxes, routers and clocks of all sorts.  All those TVs, game boxes, cable boxes, etc. stay on standby all the time.

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  Is it feasible to try to turn things off at night?  How many things will have to be reset in the morning and is it worth it?

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I read recently how many kilowatt hours each appliance uses and how much it costs on a yearly basis.  That doesn’t mean very much when you have so much to do just keeping everything charged, up to date and protected from hackers.

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Try plugging everything in your entertainment centre into a strip that you can turn off at night and turn back on in the morning.

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Perhaps all the equipment in your office can be plugged into one strip to be turned off and on with one switch morning and night.

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If there is no outdoor clothesline handy a rack or a pulley might work and save some kilowatts by not using the tumble dryer.  Washing machines nowadays get things damp-dry so laundry would dry quickly.

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If you are in the market for a new stove get an induction cook top.

The burners do not get hot, the pots and the food in them cooks with induction, but the stove top stays cool, saves energy, is safer and does not leak methane the way a gas stove does. 

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In summer turn the thermostat up a couple of degrees and use oscillating fans and ceiling fans.

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How about your water-heater?  Can it be turned down a notch or two? An inexpensive jacket for your water heater would provide insulation and possibly save some money on your power bill.

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Remember all these tips about weather strips in windowsills and around outside doors?  The rubber strips are not too expensive and easy to install.

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In winter turn the thermostat down two or three degrees and get some long silk underwear, which is not bulky and gives an extra layer.

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Extra thick socks for watching TV and in bed use a hot water bottle instead of a heating pad or heating blanket.

  A hot water bottle in a knitted case stays hot all night and is more easily moved from toes to shoulders. 

Of course, those lovely Christmas sweaters could be dug out of the drawer and used instead of turning up the thermostat. 

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If you have a heated towel rack in the bathroom turn it off when not in use.

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While sitting indoors in wintry weather you may feel cold.  When this happens get a coat on and go out for a walk – your home will feel plenty warm when you return. 

It’s the same in summer – feeling hot?  Go outside and mow the grass then in-side will feel wonderfully cool.

I know the news from Europe is worrying but keeping the TV on all the time won’t stop the violence. Turn it off and live stress free for an hour or so.

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Be like ‘Dad’ and always turn the lights off when exiting any room.

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If everyone ‘turned down’ we might see a difference in the heating bills and maybe help the environment.