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%
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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
First Days with the Chest Freezer as Fridge
All the parts and pieces finally fell into place for us to setup our Chest Freezer as a Fridge. For those new to this thread, we had purchased a new Energy Star Chest Freezer from Lowes, an external Thermostat Control from Amazon, and put them together to have a super-efficient refrigerator. We hooked the thermostat … Continue reading First Days with the Chest Freezer as Fridge
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%!
Why I love Junkmail!
Like most people, I used to spend much time cursing the senders of junk mail under my breath as I journey back from my mailbox. That is, until I realized the value of junk mail as a gardener. Junk mail is primarily paper. Paper is a carbon, and carbon my friend is a key ingredient … Continue reading Why I love Junkmail!
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
Give yourself a raise – cut the cable
Possible Savings: $700-$1,000/Yr. Okay, this isn't new for us. We've been off of cable for years. However, I often wonder why people hang on to cable bills in desparate times. According to Comcast.com, the main cable provider around here, their cable packages are between $58.70 and $114.90 per month. That's $704.40 and $1378.80 per year … Continue reading Give yourself a raise – cut the cable
The Intrepid Homestead 