We're living in times that are undeniably permeated with hotly-fueled, often polarized debates about many topics. One such topic that certainly has a large share of the opinionated conversation market is "climate change". We aren't here to offer support to either side of that debate. To the denying side, we say that care of the … Continue reading Get a clothesline or please shut your mouth about climate change
Electricity
Simple solar power for outbuilding lights and pumping water
In this post, we'll show you the simple steps we took to setup our goat barn with solar-powered lighting and running water. Note: Though titled as 'simple', some will no doubt find this complex. Understandable, however, nothing beyond grade-school math or a calculator is necessary for figuring this out. Take your time and try to … Continue reading Simple solar power for outbuilding lights and pumping water
Tips for reducing your electric bill by up to 30%
Here in PA, we're ever so fortunate (sarcasm) to be headed into a new era deregulated electricity. Our utility provider (PPL Electric) has announced that they expect most residential electric bills such as ours to rise about 30%-32%! Somehow, this is supposed to be a help to our electricity cost. We've not figured that out … Continue reading Tips for reducing your electric bill by up to 30%
Why water-saving shower heads are a good investment
Many people might not think to look at their showers as being a source of potential energy and cost savings. That's unfortunate, because there's money to be saved in the shower along with natural resources too. Consider the following scenario: Here's the simple math for a family of four each taking a 7 minute with … Continue reading Why water-saving shower heads are a good investment
Finishing the Root Cellar
When we moved into our house years ago, we had no idea that we had a root cellar. From our point of view, we had a wet, nasty closet area off our foundation that needed to be cleaned up and made to stop leaking. Needless to say, as we came to understand the value of … Continue reading Finishing the Root Cellar
Reduce Refrigeration Power Consumption up to 95%!
We're Saving About $135/yr As I've been researching ways to reduce power consumption, I've been measuring the annual power use of each appliance in my house (see my post on the Kill-A-Watt for details). When I measured my refrigerator, I found that it used 2.17 Kwh in just 13:22. That means that at our average … Continue reading Reduce Refrigeration Power Consumption up to 95%!
Audit Heat/Cooling Loss to save up to 20% on heating and cooling cost?
I spent some time today using our utility company's online self-help portal to determine some areas of cost saving measures. Without a doubt, heating and cooling is the #1 area of energy use in our home - and probably most homes. Some of their tools show a savings of up to 20% by fixing areas … Continue reading Audit Heat/Cooling Loss to save up to 20% on heating and cooling cost?
Audit your own electricity usage for $35
A few months ago, I purchased a P3 International P4460 Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor! This nifty device allows you to see what kind of electricity your plugged-in appliances use. Simply plug the Kill-A-Watt into the your outlet and your appliance into the Kill-A-Watt and let it sit. It will show you the … Continue reading Audit your own electricity usage for $35
Money and Water Saving Showerheads
Recently, one of our showerheads broke. In shopping for a new one, I wanted to find a new showerhead that met several criteria: Affordable (no $100 showerheads for our family!) Energy Efficient (water conservation saves water and heating energy) Flexible - I am a tall guy, and we also have little ones. We need something … Continue reading Money and Water Saving Showerheads
Ideas for Lowering the Electric Bill
To live a simpler lifestyle, we're convinced that we need to lower our consumption of goods and services so that we don't need the same financial resources to prosper. I've been thinking about this a lot - not in a fearful way, but with a desire to lower my expenses. What we're doing is building … Continue reading Ideas for Lowering the Electric Bill
The Intrepid Homestead 