How to save money on your electric bill

Before delving into some potential power sources it is important to think about how to reduce the amount of power one needs to use and how to conserve the power that is available.

Efficiency is the key here.

If we leave the lights on or keep the TV plugged in (even when off), we are using more than we need. Did you know that almost every electronic plugged-in appliance is draining power even though it is not turned on? It is called a "phantom load". Lots of phantom loads add up to a large steady power drain. Plug those electronics into a plug strip and turn off the plug strip when the appliance is not being used. An average home entertainment center with TV, stereo and satellite or cable box can consume up to 100 watts even off, that adds up to 2.4Kw per day or 72Kw per month. At $.10/ Kw that can be over $7/ per month.

Turn off the lights you are not currently using. Do you really need to light the whole room with a big bulb when reading a book or would a small high intensity reading light conserve more power? Standard incandescent bulbs waste power in the form of heat.
Compact fluorescent bulbs make less heat and are thus considerably more efficient than incandescents - unless the incandescent is used for a short time (like in a closet) because fluorescents take a bit more time to "warm up".

The most efficient light is an LED (light emitting diode).
There are some great LED flashlights on the market these days. LEDS do not get hot, last almost "forever", are hard to break, and use very little power. In my opinion, LED lighting is the way to go. While not yet available in local stores, LED clusters (multiple LEDS in a single housing) can be purchased over the Internet. The initial purchase cost is a bit high but not really when you count in how long they last and how little power they consume.

In a normal home, lighting takes considerable power but refrigeration takes much more. Super insulate the refrigerator with 6" more insulation. Put the compressor on top so that the heat from it rises away from the refrigerator, not up through the cold box like standard models. With a front opening door, every time the door opens the cold falls out. Use a model that opens like a chest freezer. The most energy efficient location for a refrigerator (in the northern hemisphere) is on the north (shaded) wall of the home close to or in contact with the ground (which is 55 degrees F). Do not put a refrigerator where the sun can shine on it! If you have an older refrigerator replace it with an Energy Star refrigerator.

Forget about electric stoves, ovens, hair dryers, plug-in heaters, baseboard heaters, hot plates, or anything that uses electricity to heat a coil of wire. These are very inefficient and hard to run with alternative energy systems. If you need a clothes dryer, a propane or natural gas dryer is better than an electric one.
Try hanging the clothing in the sun on a line. It will save you much power.

Electric stoves should be avoided. If you must use electricity for cooking, a microwave oven is more efficient than an electric stove because it cooks faster. Natural gas or propane stoves are much better. Steamed veggies are tastier and have more vitamins than overboiled ones and steaming saves a lot of power. The more raw food we eat the less cooking is needed.

In the electronics world, small is better. A laptop computer uses far less power than a desktop model. A small screened TV is more efficient than an large one. Choose your appliances, electronics, and tools based on efficiency as well as performance. Do you really need that component stereo CD system or would a Walkman with earphones work just as well? At the very least, turn off the lights when they are not being used!

Conservation starts with awareness.

Remember: the more power we use the more power we have to produce.