We paid 12.5 cents per kwh this month and probably consumed much more than the average home although down here in Texas many homes have two central (zoned) air conditioners and they arent very efficient homes. Many folks are seeing power bills of $700 on up and they are paying up to .25 a kwh on their new "money saving" energy plans.

I am also very happy to announce that my energy saving efforts have paid off greatly. This was the hottest month of the year and the bill is always the most. By following the trending in my spreadsheet, this month was guestimated to be around 5173 kwh consumed and it ended up being 3357. This bill was $120 cheaper than last months and I expected it to be $80 more. So I calculate that we saved around $200 this month by my simple efforts alone. I have turned off equipment that we dont really need. All computers are in S3 sleep mode now including my TV pc. I have a more efficient air conditioner in the server room. We dont run ceiling fans all day anymore unless the room is occupied. We turn off tv's when leaving house or not in room... These things mentioned prolly saved an average of 100 watts per hour each.

Using my portable wattmeter and the whole house meter I have been able to slow down our energy usage and keep tabs on it.

I never thought Id be excited over a $419.53 energy bill, but I expected $620.

My goal is to keep chopping that down moving forward. Radiant barrier and insulation will help some. Sealing the house better will help some. A new HVAC system should help some. Earning more money on my websites will help a lot. And then some day Id like to have solar and wind systems helping a lot. Hopefully we will see a day where our city, state and fed govt all work together to help fund these renewable energy initiatives. Right now the city of Austin will pay for more than 50% of your solar system and you can also get a $2000 rebate on your taxes from the fed. That would be a nice business to be in down there right now. I hope to see this in Dallas some day.

I should probably get certified as a solar and wind installer and general electrician.

 

kazko
Gender: Male
Occupation:computer geek
Member since: Jan 24, 1997
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NUTHOUSE (3) Pican 4/30/2002, died 6/02/2010 Buddy 5/01/2006 Hazel 2/01/2007, rehomed 11/28/2011 Maya 4/25/2007 Pili 4/25/2007 MISFITS (3) Big Guy 9/23/2003, died 1/29/2014 Lil Guy 9/23/2003, died 5/13/2015 Hunter 4/19/2006, died 3/23/2014 JP 8/12/2006 Shikoni 2004 Kioko 2003 Washi 2003, died 5/27/2014 SUGARSHACK (3) Chico 1/15/2006, died 9/14/2011 Cookie 10/15/2005 Kimmie 10/15/2005 Lucky 5/25/2007 Spritz 8/24/2007, died 7/06/2011 Ginger 8/24/2007, died 12/16/2012 Rock 9/09/2007, died 3/23/2013 Crystal 9/09/2007, died 11/01/2012

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