Electric bill dropped $10. What are you doing to be green?

[Saltheart]

Using the flourescent bulbs seems to be paying off. We'll see if it stays down. One thing I am anxious to see is if using the standbye feature on the computer also saves anything significant. I also noticed that when I am in the cellar doing the rods I have all the cellar lights on despite having dedicated lights right over the lathe. I turned off every second light down there now. It all adds up. One thing that kills me is the sump pump. There does not seem to be a way around that and its runs a lot in the fall and spring. For 25 years it never ran but then they built a lot of houses behind me and I guess all the added fast run off from the streets instead of the previous wooded area raises the watertable just enough to make me need to pump.

Doing my part to be green. I'm now paying $50 for electric compared to $80 per month just two years ago. Since prices have gone up , the usage is down more than the 37% the dollars show. I'm not walking around in the dark either.

I'm curious about other things people are doing to reduce energy consumption. If Americans all just did the most obvious energy saving things , I think it would effect the whole oil , arab , etc things far more than going to war over it. If Americans saved half their energy usage by simple conservation , the bottom would drop out of the price of oil.

[JohnnyD]

That's great to see some payoff after just a few minor changes. Only compact fluoros in my place aside from a couple bulbs in the bathroom.

People would be amazed at the savings they can receive with a minimal amount of effort.

I can't find it now, but I remember reading a statistic that demonstrated the staggering impact the nation would see if everyone just switched their light bulbs. The decreased oil needs were incredible. I really wish I could find the article now.

[PRBuzz]

Installed a 3.45KW photovoltaic (solar) electric system on my roof 3 years ago PLUS changed all the bulbs to energy saving fluorescent. Switching the bulbs was a lot easier to swallow than paying for the PV system even after all the state/fed rebates.

[Mr. Sandman]

Did the CFL thing 3 or 4 years ago. Have about 95% CFL now. Oven, refridge, hood and a couple special fixtures in the bathroom are still incandescent. I am saving 30%...documented for over 3 years. I burn about 1300 kwh/month now on average down from 1700+ or so. I plotted it up every month for 3 years. Peak usage was about 2500 when the AC season and I had incandescents.
Out here we have a delivery charge that is as much as the electricity itself so it really pays. We are about 25 cents/KWH net out here. it was as high as 35 but it has fallen recently.
If you just change the bulbs that are on all the time in your house (kitchen, livingroom, etc) You will see a very noticeable difference in your power consumption.

BTW the bulbs they make today are much better than the original cfls. Longer term we are moving to a LED technology.

[justplugit]

Nice SH.
I buy nothing but Energy Star products, a little more expensive but save in the long run. I believe their are some energy efficient
sump pumps too, SH.

We have whole house AC but we turn it off at night and use a ES 6000 btu in the bedroom window.

I'm looking at a Bosch tank less system to replace my hot water heater tank.
Not cheap but very energy efficient. Several of their systems are eligible for up to
a $1500 tax rebate. I have a feeling the installation won't be cheap.

As mentioned before, i turn off my computer and LCD TV with a wall switch at night.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by justplugit

I'm looking at a Bosch tank less system to replace my hot water heater tank.
Not cheap but very energy efficient. Several of their systems are eligible for up to
a $1500 tax rebate. I have a feeling the installation won't be cheap

My mum just had a tankless system installed and she loves it. Has definitely seen a decrease in her gas costs, especially during the summer when the heat is off (her oven/stove is electric).

If you want more info on the work she had done and how much it cost, shoot me a pm.

[Mr. Sandman]

I am going to look into that since I am due for a hot water heater but isn't the tankless electric? Never been a believer in heating anything with electric current....I like burning something directly to produce heat.

[justplugit]

SM, they also make natural gas and a propane unit.

Thanks JD for the offer. I called a dealer today in area. A unit 2400 series
that would replace my 40 gal tank runs around $2100 installed with a
$25 rebate from my utility Co. no tax rebate. Will run a shower and dishwasher at the same time. 82% efficient.

The larger unit 2700 series is $3900 installed $300 utility rebate and is eligible for the the 30% tax rebate and will do a 2 bathroom home. 90% efficient.

For a young guy who will be in his home for 10-15 years would prolly be well
worth it, but I only have I have 1 bathroom and can get an Energy Star tank for
$600. Should be more efficient than the 25yr old one i have now.

[Saltheart]

Yeah , you got to be careful that the initial invesrment isn't so large you will never earn it back in energy savings. That' seems to be the big barrier for a lot of the clean technology. The initial cost is just too high now.

Interestingly . if you look out over the rooftops in china you see a gazillion solar water heaters. They are about 4 feet by 6 feet with pipes inside and a clear covering and all black inside. My guess is they are not trying to save energy but to get some warm water at all. They must work or they would not be so widely used.

I'm curious how much the 3.45 KW solar unit costs. Do you sell energy back to the electric company when you are not using it?

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

I'm curious how much the 3.45 KW solar unit costs. Do you sell energy back to the electric company when you are not using it?

Total bill including installation $33,400. After rebates and tax benefits (as in 2006), costs $18,500. I'm on a net-net system so what I use is directly removed from my bill (the street meter never sees that portion) and when I over produce the electricity flows back to the street and as they say the meter goes backwards. Additionally, I get paid $0.06/KWH produced, generally $60 a quarter, from a clean energy consortium selling the "green energy credits". Overall I produce about 25-28% of my total electric needs. Don't ask about payback as >10 years.

[Saltheart]

$33.4K Wow!!! I had no idea they were that much. I was thinking $12K as high. Oh well , hopefully you do get the money back eventually.

[Jenn]

[QUOTE=Mr. Sandman;701499]I am going to look into that since I am due for a hot water heater but isn't the tankless electric? QUOTE]

We have an oil furnace for heat and hot water that is tankless. The furnace probably kicks on more often than a regular one but you are only heating essentially just the water your usingat the time. Never had a problem with running out of hot water. Unless it was being used for multiple things at once, like laundry and showers at the same time. etc...

[5/0]

This past April I installed a 3.5 Ton 17 SEER R410A Puron condenser for my house my electric bill should be a little bit softer.....But we'll see next month after this heat wave passé's

[WESTPORTMAFIA]

I'm not making as much money as I use to. It saves on ink and paper.

[BW from AZ]

A lot of people i know have raised the thermostats and put in those curly bulbs to lower their bills and now the electric co wants a rate increase cause their not making enough money. They getcha coming and going. We will never win

[Duke41]

I moved out of my house and live in a van down by the river.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by BW from AZ

They getcha coming and going. We will never win

We will within 20 years when the break-even point for solar panels is under 10 years.

[Mr. Sandman]

That is true...I dropped my KWh usage significantly but they raised the rates so in dollar terms you have not saved as much.

But if you didn't change you would be paying alot more today

[Raven]

i walk around with only a flashlight
i make my own natural gas
i haven't baked anything for 2 years
i am very envious and therefore green

[Saltheart]

When I lived in CT I had what they called domestic hot water. The oil burner had a heater section that essentially heated the water for free in the winter when the heat was already running so the boiler was hot. In the summer though it would have to heat the whole boiler to get some hot water. The bill was like $30 a month in the summer just for hot water. I bought an electric hot water heater at Sears and installed it inline with the domestic hot water from the boiler. In the winter I still got the free hot water but in the summer i switch the boiler off so it would not come on just for hot water, In the summer the hot water heater from sears did the job. Payback on that was less than 2 years. Anybody could do the same if they have an old boiler with domestic hot water.

[boot man]

I use only 1 square of toilet paper per deuce, Cheryl Crow gave me the idea.

[Grapenuts]

Originally Posted by boot man

I use only 1 square of toilet paper per deuce, Cheryl Crow gave me the idea.

That ain't nothin...I now pee in the bushes an butt surf in the back yard, waterbill is cut in half now.Grass is much greener too.

[Saltheart]

If you cut your KWh usage and the price per KWh goes up , you actually save even more money. Think about it.

[UserRemoved1]

NOW I know why my CRABGRASS is so green in August

Originally Posted by Grapenuts

That ain't nothin...I now pee in the bushes an butt surf in the back yard, waterbill is cut in half now.Grass is much greener too.