Frugal Electricity Tips.

[Terri9630]

Our power company is raising rates again. 9% over the next 2 years or something like that.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Our power prices just rose 3.5% but we consider ourselves lucky being rural as in other city areas they raised them 20% this year.

 

[BBQJoe]

Long extension cord. Neighbor.
"Nuff said.

 

[BBQJoe]

I just spent $5K to never have a utility bill for at least the next 10-15 years.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

@BBQJoe did you purchase a stand alone solar system with battery backup ?.

 

[BBQJoe]

@BBQJoe did you purchase a stand alone solar system with battery backup ?.

I have had a stand alone system since I purchased my property in '95.
There isn't a power pole around me for many miles.
My current system has served me well. It includes 4 panels, (4) 6 volt batteries, a 50 amp charge controller, and a 3000 watt inverter.
I have enough power all day long, and just enough for night if I don't run the TV and DVD.
I'm increasing my panels to 16, changing my input voltage and batteries to 24 volts instead of 12. Going with a more efficient charge controller, much larger and longer lived batteries, and a larger inverter, that also works as a charger when I run a generator.

I normally run the generator a few hours at night to keep the batteries topped up, and also watch movies.

My hope is that this will supply me with more than enough power to not have to run the generator every evening, thus reducing my monthly gas usage buy about 20 gallons.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Sounds like a fantastic setup @BBQJoe let us know how it works and whether you get enough power to run things at night. We are doing a bit of research for our house build in about 2 years.

 

[Meerkat]

Hi all!

Here is a few ways in which I save on electricity costs:

I use the solar oven as much as possible.

I use solar powered lanterns instead of mains power lights at night.

I've downsized my appliances or have stopped using them in favour using "old fashioned" methods
of getting things done.

I use an ice box instead of a fridge.

I do my laundry by hand.

I have an old cartridge carpet sweeper instead of a vacuum.

I keep my chest freezer full by stockpiling and filling any empty space with juice bottles filled with water.

I'm currenly building a small solar power system so my usage will be even lesss.

How do you save on power usage?

I learned as a kid how to save on energy and stomp them on flat rocks in the creek. As I got older and didn't want to go to laundry mat with a lot of diapers etc, I would put them in tub and stomp them clean, like stomping grapes for wine. I don't like washboards at all. Of course still had to wring em out. But no back bending till then.

 

[TMT Tactical]

I learned as a kid how to save on energy and stomp them on flat rocks in the creek. As I got older and didn't want to go to laundry mat with a lot of diapers etc, I would put them in tub and stomp them clean, like stomping grapes for wine. I don't like washboards at all. Of course still had to wring em out. But no back bending till then.

I just an old guy but I really, really do hope those diapers were completely rinsed out before the stomping started.

 

[Meerkat]

I just an old guy but I really, really do hope those diapers were completely rinsed out before the stomping started.

oh yes they were. I had a special bucket for that job before they went into the tub.

 

[The Innkeeper]

Several Canadian jurisdictions removed smart readers because of their inaccuracies (and they never seem to underestimate). Unfortunately the one we are in loves them and continues to force them on people

 

[Quantum]

Hi all!

Here is a few ways in which I save on electricity costs:

I use the solar oven as much as possible.

I use solar powered lanterns instead of mains power lights at night.

I've downsized my appliances or have stopped using them in favour using "old fashioned" methods
of getting things done.

I use an ice box instead of a fridge.

I do my laundry by hand.

I have an old cartridge carpet sweeper instead of a vacuum.

I keep my chest freezer full by stockpiling and filling any empty space with juice bottles filled with water.

I'm currenly building a small solar power system so my usage will be even lesss.

How do you save on power usage?

I used to save by unplugging (almost) everything except the stove and 'fridge. I even turned off the hot water heater during the day.

Electricity is cheaper at night. Washing and drying was done at night. The dishwasher was ALWAYS unplugged.

 

[Patchouli]

Okay, @Quantum I KNEW IT! I kept trying to tell other people that electricity was cheaper to use at night but I couldn't remember how I knew or where to find this information. Nobody believed me.
Is this still a thing, that it is cheaper at night, depending on where you live?
The question directed to me was always, how will they know when you are using it?

 

[Grimm]

Okay, @Quantum I KNEW IT! I kept trying to tell other people that electricity was cheaper to use at night but I couldn't remember how I knew or where to find this information. Nobody believed me.
Is this still a thing, that it is cheaper at night, depending on where you live?
The question directed to me was always, how will they know when you are using it?

Smart meters or wifi meters.

 

[Patchouli]

Smart meters or wifi meters.

It was before smart meters, like, back in the 80s & 90s. There would be something listed on the electric bill (remember those, on paper?) about these times are when it costs this much, regular business hours the cost is higher.

 

[viking]

When LED's started becoming available we changed out almost all of our lights to them, we're probably close to 99% usage of LED's. By going that route it allows more lights to be on when the solar system kicks in. The 4,000 watt inverter is more than adequate to take care of all our household needs especially when I turn off refrigerators and freezers until they need to have the temps dropped back down, as long as we don't open them, they stay cold for a long time if the weather is cool and generally that's when the grid power is likely to be cut off.

 

[The Lazy L]

It was before smart meters, like, back in the 80s & 90s. There would be something listed on the electric bill (remember those, on paper?) about these times are when it costs this much, regular business hours the cost is higher.

Think about it for a bit. Without a "smart" meter how could the Electric Utility know when a individual customer used electricity?

 

[Patchouli]

Think about it for a bit. Without a "smart" meter how could the Electric Utility know when a individual customer used electricity?

Right. So how would they know? Like I said, this was before I ever heard anything about smart meters. Were they monitoring our consumption and timing before it was "cool" to say they were monitoring? Of course the meter reader came out monthly to note the numbers, but were they able to monitor in another way?
What are you saying?