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guitarnan
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| Posted: March 28 2008 at 6:41am | IP Logged
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We didn't freeze this winter, but I did drop our thermostat down a couple of degrees...and, in spite of our 72% electrical bill increase last summer (deregulation's effects), my overal power usage did go down this winter.
Now, as summer approaches, I'm trying to figure out more ways to use less electricity. We use a lot of fluorescent bulbs, and I plan to keep the A/C off unless it gets above 80 inside, and use fans instead.
All suggestions welcome!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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mary theresa
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| Posted: March 28 2008 at 1:07pm | IP Logged
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How about cooking dinner in a crockpot in the garage to keep the house cool?
Or cold showers are easier in the summer.
But we lasted till July last summer only turning on our AC at night -- I CAN'T sleep hot and I was pregnant too then. I got up earlyish to open windows all over in the cooler mornings, then by 9 or whatever closed them all. You can lower the shades/curtains against sunlight -- that helps.
Sorry, I'm not a huge help. 
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Mary Theresa
mother to 3 little girls --March '06, Dec '07 and Jan '10
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LisaR
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| Posted: March 28 2008 at 1:35pm | IP Logged
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I don't really bake in the summer at all. we use crockpot/grill/microwave for 90% of our cooking needs.
Keep the blinds/curtains closed in the hottest time of day.
live more in basement if you have one!
careful of water bill- running that sprinkler/filling up the kiddie pools can really suck you dry (ha ha pun intended)
I was so proud of our winter energy savings, it will be fun to see how we all do for summer!
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
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Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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Matilda
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| Posted: March 28 2008 at 2:12pm | IP Logged
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We are in Texas so we are always looking for ways to decrease our energy costs during the summer. One thing I did was purchase an electric roasting oven that I put in the garage. If anything gets baked, it gets baked in there. I don't turn my oven on at all from May until October. I use crockpots, steamers and indoor grills, but I try to keep them in the laundry room which can be closed off and has an outside vent. We also use insulated curtains or window quilts on the ones that get the most sun and get use to higher inside temperatures a little at a time. You can't make a huge drastic change and expect people to be happy. We also live with it hotter during the day so that we can turn it down at night otherwise our littlest ones have nightmares when it is too hot.
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11 , 10 , 9 & 5 ) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: March 28 2008 at 3:10pm | IP Logged
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One thing we do is to close the shades on whichever side of the house the sun is shinging through. It keeps the inside temperature lower when we block out that solar energy. Also, somehow the lower lighting in the room just convinces me that it's cooler in there.
Peace,
Nancy
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Rachel May
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 1:10pm | IP Logged
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I've just started reading This Cold House: The Simple Science of Energy Efficiency by Colin Smith. I'm hoping to get some ideas from it. We've been getting rebates on our military power bill all winter, and I hate to give them up. Last year our summer bills were a bit over the allowed usage so unless we try harder, we will probably be paying a little.
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 1:40pm | IP Logged
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Don't forget things other than heating/cooling like... using a clothesline.. in the summer heat it can be almost as fast as the dryer. 
And rearrange your schedule if at all possible.. get up early and get things done in the cool of the morning.. or wait until evening to do them..
have an afternoon siesta  even if you don't sleep having the middle of the day being a resting time.. read alouds.. or read silently.. or even watching a movie.. is low activity and you won't feel as hot as trying to do heavy work in the middle of the day.
And don't forget to take advantage of other people's a/c do your shopping midday when you can use the car a/c and then be in the stores during the hottest part of the day.. and not trying to cool your own house during that time. Or go to the library.. or hmm what else? we wait to go to the public pool usually until later when there's some shade for myself and the littles.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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LisaR
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 2:17pm | IP Logged
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just broke out the clothesline today!!! we line dry indoors in the winter as well, because our heat is very drying, and it also acts as a natural humidifier as well. but once March/April hits, the operation moves outdoors!!
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 2:42pm | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
Don't forget things other than heating/cooling like... using a clothesline.. in the summer heat it can be almost as fast as the dryer.
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This is what I was going to say. The kids spend more time outside in the warmer weather; so, it is something for me to do spending time with them that saves money, too! I even hang a lower line, and my oldest who was three last summer hung all the washcloths and napkins with the non-squeezy clothes pins.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 3:18pm | IP Logged
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 Lindsey.. that lower line is great.. we have spent lots of time counting while hanging clothes.. the little one will stand and hand me the clothes pins and we count them.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Matilda
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 6:02pm | IP Logged
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My question for all of you who use clotheslines... do you have anyone in your family who has bad pollen allergies and does hanging clothes on a clothesline make them worse? I have always wanted to try a line, but thought I would have to hang it in the garage to help my husband who is pollen sensitive. Would that work?
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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LisaR
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 6:09pm | IP Logged
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our garage would be way too humid in the summer- even if I left the garage door open, but then it would also defeat the purpose of energy savings, as we have an attached garage and we tell a difference when the door is open or shut.
BUT we HAVE had a problem with chiggers-about 2-3 weeks in the summer- or whatever they are called- those tiny, almost microscopic red little bugs that like to bite around waistband area, etc. and like the moist, especially white clothes.
When chigger season is in full swing, I will bring the dry clothes in and run them on high heat for 2-3 min. that killed the chiggers, maybe it would work to remove pollen?
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 6:16pm | IP Logged
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Chiggers... I grew up Protestant, and there is an old Evangelical comedian named Grady Nut who used to do a bit about Noah and the Ark and why on earth he saved chiggers and why would God have created them to begin with...I tend to agree.
I've never had an issue with them in my hanging laundry that I know of. But, the mosquitos here are SO awful in the summer (ever since the railroad in the gulley behind our yard dug their drainage ditches 3 years ago...grrrr), my childre look like they have chicken pox for weeks on end  . I doubt I would even notice extra chigger bites.
We've also thought of getting an attic fan to lengthen the time we can go without the air conditioner...
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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guitarnan
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We have an attic fan...don't know if it helps, but my parents (SoCal) have one and it is a real help. They have it set up so it sucks air in from the main part of the house through a trap door into the attic...you just open the windows as it gets cool and, bingo! cool air. In MD, where I live, it would be hot humid air no matter what you did, ugh. Our attic fan blows air across the attic to help ventilate the hottest air, and I guess it helps, but our second story is beastly hot in August.
I had not thought to put the crockpot into a different room but it's a great idea, bread machine, too! I never bake in summer - my idea of "seasonal" cooking - but we do miss bread and I could splurge a little if the bread baked in another part of the house. Silly me.
I have a nifty clothes drying rack that I love, but we do have pollen issues here, so I have to be careful where I set it up at this time of year. Right now it is down in the basement.
And...why are most insulating curtains ugly AND Made in China? Double whammy! I've been looking for attractive ones for years...
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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LisaR
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 8:24pm | IP Logged
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CrunchyMom wrote:
Chiggers... I grew up Protestant, and there is an old Evangelical comedian named Grady Nut who used to do a bit about Noah and the Ark and why on earth he saved chiggers and why would God have created them to begin with...I tend to agree.
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so do I have the name right?? Is that what you think they are then, little almost microscopic red things?? a few neighborhood friends and I tend to think it is exclusively in our little pocket, as 99% of people I mention them to around here look at me and go "huh?"
same with the 17 year cicadas- wow, we sure got them in droves last summer.
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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LisaR
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 8:26pm | IP Logged
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oh, here is a good cheap fun hot day activity. Freeze lots of water in ice cube trays and whatever else containers you have room to fit in your freezer, and then let the kids make igloo pyramid type things out of them on a concrete patio, sidewalk, etc.
(already trying to think ahead to other cooling activities that work for us since we really blew it on the water bill last summer sprinklers, pools, etc...)
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 8:48pm | IP Logged
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One Step Ahead has a black-out draper liner that is adaptable to different curtains:
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=47 6761&cmSource=Search
I bought four packages for our huge living room and master bedroom windows, and they have worked wonders this winter. I'm waiting to see what they do with the summer heat.
I've heard something about how in the winter you should close the vents at the top of the house and open the ones in the bottom and reverse it in the summer, so that your heat/cooling is channeled more effectively.
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Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
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stacykay
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 9:01am | IP Logged
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guitarnan wrote:
....
And...why are most insulating curtains ugly AND Made in China? Double whammy! I've been looking for attractive ones for years... |
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Have you ever seen Country Curtains? They have nice-looking insulated panels, and they shoot for almost all Made in USA textiles, in addition to the actual making of the curtains.
We have the insulated belle fleur in our living room/dining room. We have had them for over 15 years, and they have held up so very well, plus I can wash them here at home. They make a huge difference in the heat/cold that come in.
I wish we could live without a/c more, but 17yods has asthma and heat/humidity are really big triggers for him.
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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LisaR
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 9:05am | IP Logged
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We have to run a dehumidifier in our basement (kind of sucks out the humidity throughout the house) in the summer months. problem is- it is heat producing, and also (I am assuming) a pretty good electricity sucker. any ideas for eco/budget friendly dehumidifying ideas?
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 9:43am | IP Logged
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I typed in Natural Dehumidifier into Google and came across this product:
http://www.allergyasthmatech.com/Product/Damp_Check_Natural_ Dehumidifier/164_195
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Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
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Topic: Summer Energy Saving Tips?
