So what are you doing to conserve energy during this heat wave????

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jasonl,

Man I would hate to see your utilty bills!

77 at night is great along with a ceiling fan running. A sheet and a lite blanket is all my wife and I keep on the bed all summer. Mostly cover up with the sheet. Our bedroom is on the east side of our house away from the afternoon sun. By the time we hit the sheets at 10:00~11:00 p.m. our bedroom has cooled down a good bit.
 
My parents pay $159 a month for running their AC at 71. Being this is my first elec. bill, it's $200 for setup and everything, but the actually energy usage was $59 with running the air at 73 or 72 by day and 70 at bedtime.
 
Seamus:

New York City has what we call demand metering~ Mostly commerical users. There is a "*Fine/Penalty* for the greatest continuous usage over a 15 minute stretch of time. This is to encourge load-staggering.

New York City also has optional time-of-day metering to reward customers for off-peak (night and weeked) usage.

We do not have a national or even state-wide set of utilites that is uniformly the same throughout. We are too big!

There is also a great range of energy prices depending on location and source of electricity/gas/oil.
 
Both electric retailers that I've used have fixed-rates for residential. The bottom-line per-KWH cost may vary from month to month according to seasonal changes but there are no daily economy periods vs. demand periods, or direct demand billing (demand is factored into the base rate for residential). Commercial service does include a line-item demand factor, or has in the past.

Warm-natured as I am, I don't think I could deal with 70°F air conditioning in heat of the summer. 70°F in the winter is my standard, however. I don't like humidity, and 77°F typically keeps it low enough except when the weather is milder between seasons. I really, really liked the 2-speed A/C in the old house. It was excellent at humidity control. Even during the daytime "setback" to 82°F the humidity was kept reasonable.
 
ARRRGGHHH!!! Latest bill is $202. Highest ever. 1,756 KWH. At least a couple weeks of the period includes when a PCB for the A/C blower was busted and it was temporary re-wired to run continuously.
 
This last month (July) the electric bill was $360 or so...in June it was only about $198. Will have to see if the rate per KWH increased.

I used to have a system to power my household electrical needs off of an inverter...I used 2 car batteries in the trunk of the Grand Marquis with a range cord connected to them. While driving, they would be plugged into an outlet which connected them in parallel and they were connected to the car alternator to charge.

Then to run the inverter (a computer UPS which ran off 24 volt gel cells originally) the battery cord was plugged into an outlet mounted to the UPS which connected the batteries in series. This setup would power the lights and TV all evening and would usually power the fan all night, through an extension cord run through the window and plugged into the car trunk. There was no connection to the house power system.

The inverter bit the dust when it was hooked up to a solar charging system which accidentally gave it too much voltage. I got another junk UPS and hope to get the system running again.
 
Lovin' My Electric Bill . . .

I just received my highest electric bill of the summer. I used 661 KWH for the month of June, for a total bill of $82.37. I live in an newly annexed area of town, which still falls in COOP territory. If this same house were a bit further into town, I could expect my bill to be about double what it is here. I LOVE the COOP.

I like to keep my house at 74 during the day and 72 at night. I'm about to install a digital thermostat, and will program it to about 80*F, clooling down gradually to about 72 by the time I go to bed. I'm very warm natured, and really like to have it cool at night. Othewise I just can't sleep.

My water bill is a different story. It was $76.59, which included sewer, garbage and "stormwater drainage". Not like we need that as it never rains here. LOL. I have been watering every morning trying to green up the yard, but Lubbock has just implemented some very strict water restrictions, so I'm sure my bill will cut down quite a bit. We are now allowed to water only 2 times per week. UGH.

Bryan
 
During air conditioning weather, electricity rates go up, so I use my 3 gas dryers outside under my deck. I normally do not run the central AC and get by cooling the kitchen and bedroom with efficient 8K BTU window units, but during this intense heat,I turned the central on and kept it at 78. Along with the window units, the house was livable. I wait until after normal office hours to do laundry or dishes to lessen the impact of my appliances coming on line.

Gary, the load did not look dirty enough for Soak & Scrub. What soil was hiding in the photo?
Tom
 
Jason, in Minnesota we always had the air on 69 or 70, with the fan running continuously. I think the bill was like $150 or some such thing. That was the only way I could deal with that weather. I'm just agape when I hear people with their a/cs on 78 or whatever, but it's usually in drier places and I'm sure that does make a big difference.
 
I line dry year round, so that saves gas and some electricity. I insulated the heck out of the house over the past five years, and plan on extending the insulation under the floor to cover nearly the whole area.

My electricity averages about 500 kWH/mo. I have two relatively energy efficient friges (two kitchens) plus a 15 cu ft chest freezer. That, and the pond filter pump uses an estimated 150 to 200 watts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It all adds up. I turn off the computer(s) and UPS system when they are not in use, as well as unplugging the entertainment center etc. when it's not in use. I even put the Neptune washer/dryer pair on a switched outlet, otherwise the set uses 10 watts when not in use. Those measures help a lot, I figure it's equal to at least one fridge's worth of electricity saved by doing that. There is also a well pump; I use the well water to irrigate the front lawn and garden areas in the back. That uses some electricity, but I don't think it's as much as the pond pump, which is lower power but does run continously.

When I moved in here in '97, the energy usage was over 1,000 kWH/mo. Replacing both fridges with more energy efficient models helped a lot, as did turning off the phantom loads on electronics/computers/battery chargers etc.
 
We haven't really had to do much. The A/C is set at 72, but doesn't turn on untill the hottest part of the day and runs only a few times (good insulation). I personally like the thermostat at 68 all year, because I'm not comfortable untill everyone else is freezing.
 
OH WOW!!!!!

I'm gasping just thinking about having the air above 70 LOL. I keep my bedroom 65 during the day and 62 at night. (Amazingly, when it was 100 degrees out the compressor still cycled on and off as much as it does if it were 80 out, I was shocked.) The rest of the house I keep at 70 degrees 247. I haven't turned my air off in the house in almost 2 months. My last electric bill?? $232... I was absolutely SHOCKED that it was so low considering how low I keep the temp in here. I remember when I went to go visit Toggle last summer and he turned the air down to 69 for me. He must have been cringing and shivering LOL.
 
Up here in the Pacific Northwest;

We are conserving energy during the heat wave by, well, simply not having one. The weather here is great! Come on over!
 
Gary, the load did not look dirty enough for Soak & Scrub. W

Guess I just tend to use that cycle when I really pack that dishwasher....I would imagine that the normal cycle would do just fine.
 
I'm sitting at my computer at 12:28 PM, outdoor temp is 96°F, indoor ~77°F (may be a touch lower on this end of the house), with the ceiling fan on medium, and I feel a nice chilled breeze. I can't imagine trying to run the A/C at 65°F! Highly unlikely it would ever get that low anyway.

I heard a mention from somebody in town who has to keep cooling below 70°F due to people in the house with respiratory conditions. Their bill runs $700+. Sorry, nope, not gonna pay that.
 
I keep mine at 86 during the day and 79 when I am home after work. ON weekends, I do keep it at 78. I have a programmable t-stat on a Multi-speed air handler and multi-speed compressor on a heat pump with 18 seer. I was replacing 18 y/o heat pump in 2002 because I knew I couldn't afford to run my old inefficient system any more. My last bill was 145 & some change. I will know what my current bill is in a few days. Kinda dreading it. I have my ceiling fans running when I am in a room. My water heater is set at 115-118 right now (all-electric house).
 
ry, the load did not look dirty enough for Soak & Scrub. Wha

Gary pretty much pre-rinses everything when it goes in. S & S would be overkill even with a jammed packed load. Normal may be even pushing it a bit. Light/china may be the best option.
 
Down in Houston . .

My aunt just received here electric bill, and it was $602 last month. They have a decent-sized home (about 2800 SQ FT), with separate coolers for the upstairs and the downstairs. I cannot IMGAINE paying $602 a month for electric. She says they keep the upstairs at 78*F at all times, and the downstairs at 77*F. They have special screens on their windows to reduce the direct sunlight coming into the house. They even recently had a checkup from the local electric company to inspect their home and A/C units to ensure they are running as efficiently as possible.

I guess if I were her I would just stay in the pool all day long and keep the inside at 85*F! LOL.

Bryan
 
No central a/c here since we seldom have days that exceed 85 degs and being so bone dry even when it's hotter than that in the house it isn't all that unpleasant. Having just returned from moms house back east it's a totally different story though. She had a manual Tstat for her central ac so I put in a new digital Honeywell while I was there. Works great, we had it set at 76 the whole time I was there and it was very comfortable in the house. I had Carrier in to install her system 14 years ago after my dad died and they installed a 2 ton unit with a 2.5 ton coil, the idea being the larger coil with the lesser BTU's would give her an increase in dehumidification without the frigid output she didn't want. Seems to have done the trick.
 
I just spent 5 days with some friends in Abilene. They have an 1800 sq. ft. house, all electric. The normally high $300 summer bill has now gone up to $500 & something. I vote for Gadget Gary's au natural approach for sure!! lol.
 
Yes, I'm conserving energy too. A/c during the day at 77F, save leftovers to microwave so I don't have to turn on the stove or oven. The most energy effecient thing I do is use the clothesline for EVERYTHING except socks, and I have enough of those to last
3 weeks so its not a problem.
Have to agree that I would rather deal with colder weather though.
My water usage however is a very different story, I use as much as I want.
 
Pool timer

This weekend I installed a pool pump timer. Up till this weekend we've been turning on the pool pump but always forget to turn it off. Have it set to turn on then off about every couple of hours. We keep it off at night.
 
I do is use the clothesline for EVERYTHING except socks,

Barry,

Why not the 'socks' on the clothesline?
Inquiring minds want to know.....I showed some white sox on my clothesline a while back.....
 
78 inside is too warm for me, but I did not want the rest of the house to get too warm with the daytime highs in the mid to upper 90s. The quest for economical personal comfort is the reason for the two window units that can cool the two rooms in which I spend the most time to around 70-72 degrees.

I have the sunscreens on all the windows that are subjected to direct sunlight and the sunscreens on the French Doors have foil between them and the glass. I am growing my secret weapon for shading these doors, big giant pots of bamboo that maybe by next year will be big enough to throw some shade on the doors.
 
Seamus, here in Calif we have a program that you can sign up for that sounds like what you've got. They're about to roll out a new system that will automatically adjust your rate structure according to the time you use the most juice. But we're all resigned to getting gouged and the economy here is still recovering from getting reamed by Enron.

Sudsmaster sized it up nicely. Heat wave is over here in California, right now at 9AM it's overcast with a nice cool marine layer (it will burn off shortly) but should have near-90 by midweek where I live in the western corner of Silicon Valley where the bay breezes don't quite reach when it's hot. Went camping at the beach the weekend it was 109 out my way, came home and the temp inside the house was 95! No a/c like most homes in the immediate Bay Area so it was ceiling fans going 24/7 and smaller portables in key locations. Re-discovered the clothes line. Absolutely went naked as much as possible, we have a very private front & back yard and are nudists already so that was just business as usual.

Ralph
 
Gary,
I do hang out white socks on the lines but dress socks I dry in the dryer. They are fluffier and a little easier for me to put on as I have some arthritis in my left foot. Maybe I need to buy some new socks that are easier to manage. Darn this middle age thing!
 
John has family in Elkhart, Indiana. The power company offers off peak electric rates of around 3 cents a KW so they arrange to do electrical tasks then.

I read about an office building here that uses off peak electric rates to freeze ice in giant chillers in the basement and then air is circulated over the vats of ice to cool the building during the day. It also has sun shades on the outside of the building to keep direct sun from falling on the windows and heating the place faster. There are many things that can be done, it's just that the government, as personal representative of oil and commercial interests, has not had any interest in exploring the technology that would save energy.
 

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