42 ways to help elimnate your electric bill

I have compiled a list of ways to reduce your electric bill to almost nothing. All of these techniques are environmentally friendly. Some items that are listed have a higher initial cost then others but all of them will generate a return on your investment in one to two years. Keep in mind these are only suggestions but I have personally tested each item and it does work. Also these are only some ideas and not all of them. Enjoy your savings……

1.Convert all light bulbs to (CFL) Compact florescent light

2.Use rechargeable batteries instead of one’s for one time use

3.Replace lights that are used most often with LED bulbs

4.Caulk inside and outside of all your home’s doors and windows

5.Tint windows that have the most sunlight come through them or rooms that are
having trouble staying cool or warm.

6.Replace thermostats with a digital one

7.Make sure all thermostats on located out of direct sunlight and on a wall close to the center of the house.

8.Use diverted air on indoor vents to help direct air flow

9.Use only the cheap air filters for your A/C

10.Make sure you have your HVAC system checked regularly for optimum performance

11.Use only Energy Star rated appliances

12.Put all electronic devices on power strips so you can make sure they are off when you are not using them (this includes your computer)

13.Unplug phone charger from wall when you are not charging your phone

14.Turn off the lights when you leave a room

15.Use gray duct tape to repair any rips or tears in your duct work for your heating and air system

16.Make sure your heat pumps outside are in an open area with a breeze and also not in direct sunlight

17.Make sure your heating and air system is large enough to heat and cool your home.

18.Dig a drain pond in your yard for storm water run-off

19.Use rock, shells, or anything similar to create border around the base of your home to aid in water run-off

20.Move the dirt around in your yard to create a plane that diverts all storm water run-off to your drain pond

21.Fill old pasta jars with distilled water and place them in the fill tank on the back of every toilet in your home

22.Plant flowers and shrubs that are native to the area you live in

23.Make sure your home has soffit vents and roof vents

24.Consider using a clothes line to dry your clothes instead of the dryer

25.Locate the water heater breaker on your panel box and switch it off when no one is home

26.Make sure you insulate your attic floor

27.Consider investing in solar power or solar heated water

28.Insulate the back of your garage door

29.Insulate and drywall your garage (this makes a huge difference!)

30.Do not buy a plug in hybrid car unless you want your power bill to soar all this car does is move the problem from one industry to another

31.Watch less TV and do more activities

32.Make things instead of buying them whatever you can

33.Grow your own food instead of planting flowers throughout your home plant food like corn, apples, etc…

34.Invest in a gutter system to help control storm water run-off

35.Use rain barrels to recycle rain water for your garden or other things

36.If you have a fireplace……use it!

37.Invest in a compost barrel to recycle organic matter. It goes in the corner of your yard and you fill it with only organic matter (food leftovers, peels, etc.) and in a little while it will convert it to some of the best fertilizer you have ever seen.

38.Replace all plumbing fixture with low flow water fixture. Easiest and cheapest to start with are shower heads. Only $5.00 at any hardware store. (Buy local!!!!)

39.Place bowls of ice in your refrigerator to help your fridge run less

40.Consider replacing carpet with hard surfaces. Mopping and sweeping doesn't use electricity however the average vacuum cleaner will pull 4 amps or more

41.Consider not having a giant home theater system. The speakers on the TV work just fine. Think about the fact that when you have your A/V receiver, cable receiver, TV, and sub woofer on you are pulling anywhere from 4 to 8 amps depending on how big your system is. I know that when you combine a 42 in TV, with a 700watt Harmon Kardon receiver, with a direct TV receiver plus a powered sub woofer you can pull almost 6 amps! Keep in mind the whole room is on one 20 amp breaker and you are using a 1/3 of it just to watch TV.

42.Consider using a French press instead of a coffee maker. (I still haven’t listened to my own advice on this one. You may take away my surround sound but do not touch my coffee.)

Do I have to have an electric bill?

Mankind, a race doomed to extinction due to its own self destruction. A race effected by mass media, television, discrimination, segregation, and intimidation is on a one way course with history. This race must ultimately come to an end to make way for a new race that is emerging everywhere. Humankind! Yes humankind, a people who are not lost to the ways of those who have passed before us. We are a people of unity, kindness, and love. We share positive memories of joy and happiness. We also show those who are in need of the two. Humankind will pave the way to the future in finding ways to live with our planet and not against it. Our home, Earth, is round and represents a circle of life. From the air we breathe to the water we drink to the ground we lay to, we will all eventually be in these circles over and over again. We can learn a lot from the pioneers who first settled in this country and also those native to it. They learned to live with the land and learn from it. They learned if they take care of their land that the land will in return take care of them. An everlasting kinship can be created right in our very own homes. We can start by walking outside and looking at our yards and the ones next to it. Look at how the land moves. Can this be altered to better manage storm run-off? If so, can we divert it to a container and reuse the water? Do I have to have an electric bill? Do I have to have a water bill? Can I grow my own food? These are the questions we has humankind should start asking ourselves. Our ability to adapt and create and overcome is our defining characteristic has human beings. This instinct knows no color, personality type, nor gender. It is equally the same in all of us. We as a people can unite and overcome any adversity. By thinking this way we can enhance our lives and the ones of those around us by making everyone and everything more efficient. If your car is more efficient it burns less gas, if your home is more efficient it uses less power, if you manage your water you will use less of it. This will ultimately save you money like you wouldn't believe. There is no cure all to making money. There is a cure all to saving it. We need to start asking the right questions and start making our homes and lives more environmentally friendly. This is a win-win in every regard. Research and find ways that are free to save green by being green. My blogs sole purpose is to do this for you. Some things are more expensive and harder to do than others. But my point is if you start doing a bunch of little things consistently that they will all add up to a big difference. Mankind is inevitably going to die out. Humankind is slowly taking its place. Let us all start today even and start making a difference for you, for me, and for everyone for generations to come.

A simple way to reduce your heating and air conditioning cost

A whomping 40% of most people's power bill is their heating and air conditioning and their other appliances. (Dishwasher,washer, dryer, etc.) Anyway to keep your house maintaining its internal temperature is a sure way to reduce your power bill.

Just like humans breathe your home or apartment breathes too. It allows air to pass in and out through any hole it can. We also help this process by opening and shutting exterior doors. To make sure your home is heating and cooling to the best of its ability you need to make sure there is not an excess of air escaping through aging paint or old caulk.

Ok so here is the trick. Painters caulk is very inexpensive and has a vast majority of uses. Go to your local hardware store and purchase a couple tubes of white painters caulk and a caulk gun. It should total to less then $25.00. Then go home and caulk every vertical seam on the outside if your home. Also you should caulk around your windows and doors as well as where your roofline meets the outside of your house. Now inside do the same thing except this time do all your interior trim as well including the tops of all your baseboard. While you are walking around check for small holes in your walls that could be easily patched with a little dab of caulk. Keep in mind I am assuming you understand how to properly apply caulk. For those who do not know YouTube has a lot of videos to show you how. It is a very simple process.

Another important thing to do is to upgrade your thermostat to a digital one, even if it is a cheap one. This is crucial because a mercury thermostat is only accurate plus or minus 10 degrees. A digital thermostat is accurate up to plus or minus 2 degrees. Doing this will make your a/c run a lot less thus saving you money on your power bill.

I will have more content and information to share on how to cut down on your heating and air conditioning in more posts to come. Thank you for reading. Remember keep it local. If you spend your money locally it will stay locally.