Desert Pond

Author: Erica

  • Lower Electric Bills – Trick is Twofold

    I’ve been researching electricity usage, reviewing electric bills, and reading up on the cost per kilowatt hour nationally and state-wide for a current project. I’m always on the hunt for ways to lower my electric bills and have been writing about this online recently. Then a light bulb went off (it’s okay, it was solar powered). The problem needs to be tackled in at least two ways.

    Light Bulb by Caveman 92223
    Light Bulb by Caveman 92223

    First, rate – the cost you pay for your electricity. This is usually referred to as your cost per kilowatt hour (or kWh). You can lower this amount if your electric company offers what’s called an Off-Peak or Non-Peak plan which charges less per kWh for those kilowatts used during the time of the day when overall demand is lower. If you sign up for these plans and shift as much of your usage as possible to the off-peak times, you’ll lower your overall cost per kWh. Your electric company may offer other reduced-charge plans.

    Example:

    1000 kWh used at $.09/kWh would be a charge of $90
    1000 kWh used at $.08/kWh would be a charge of $80

    Second, total usage – the total kWh used in a month. This shows up on your bill and can vary month-to-month but is usually driven by changes in season and weather. If your home uses electric air conditioning, for instance, but gas heat like mine, your electricity bill is often higher in the summer and lower in the winter only because you’ve switched sources of energy used to set your home’s temperature.
    Making your home more energy efficient also helps reduce your total usage and has an impact on your electric bill. Even a reduction in usage of 10% makes a difference.

    Example:

    1000 kWh used at $.09/kWh would be a charge of $90
    900 kWh used at $.09/kWh would be a charge of $81

    Now, put the two techniques together. Lower your rate and your usage:

    Example:

    1000 kWh used at $.09/kWh would be a charge of $90

    900 kWh used at $.08/kWh would be a charge of $72 ?


    For information on the exact methods you can use to lower your electric bills, see my other online articles:

    Cutting Electric Bill
    How to Lower Electricity Bills
    Compare Electricity Bills
    Reducing Electricity Bills
    Solar Electricity for Your Home

    Good luck!

  • Found Money

    I’m starting to think that I need a new blog, one that just focuses on my six year old. He’s great blog material. He’s my little blogger boy. He’s a blog-o-rama. I often tell him he should have his own show. Take yesterday, for example, when he greeted me in the morning as I was getting ready for work with a fistful of dollars in his hand.

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  • My Little Conniver

    Yes, we have rules at our house. Maybe not super-strict, uncomfortable rules, but they’re not too shabby where kids are concerned. No computers or TV in the bedrooms. Limited computer time. Limited TV time (when we remember to enforce it). Bedtimes are strictly required during school. Chores on a regular basis.

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  • Piece of Apple Pie

    When I say goodnight to my children, it’s usually, “Night, night pumpkin pie.” I’m not sure why. Maybe I got that from my folks. Maybe because I love pumpkin pie. Maybe because my kids are so cute and sweet I think of them as pumpkin pie. Recently, however, my middle son informed me (after I had called him pumpkin pie for maybe the 1000th time in his life), “Mom, I don’t really like pumpkin pie. I prefer apple.”

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  • Meetings – Leave the Sticks at Home

    Yesterday afternoon, I jumped on my fifth conference call of the day with two hours left to go. Five hours so far that my ear had been glued to the phone. Well, actually, I use a speaker phone, but you know what I mean. One benefit of using a speakerphone is that it leaves your hands free to do email and other work while on a call. However, it’s also difficult to pay attention to the call if you’re doing other work. A
    conundrum.

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