E is for Electricity #atozchallenge #blogboost

OK this isn’t going to be a huge post about alternative energy or a slam on old fashion appliances. This is however is going to be a quick list of realistic things you can do to cut your energy use.  Since we had a huge price increase over the past year, I’m not going to claim these will save you a ton of money, but I will say these are things you can do to help cut your consumption and possibly save money or at least not feel the pain as much when and if you do get a rate increase.
1. Turn off stuff (lights are a biggy, but the TV, stereo , or gaming system are pretty big on the consumptive scale)
2. Open the curtains during the day and savor the daylight.  As I write this post we are actually having a sunny day ( 4/2/12) and while the temps aren’t high, the sun still feels wonderful on the windows and the natural light is beautiful!
3. Hang your laundry outside whenever possible. Again today since we have a sunny day and a light wind we hung a load of sheets on the line this morning.. It will take longer in the Spring Sun than it does in the Summer but not having that load of sheets in the dryer means the dryer will run half as much today.
4. Again, if the weather is nice… cook outside on the grill (gas  or charcoal.)  This saves turning the stove on and also means you don’t heat up the house.
5. Find the lowest temperature setting on the thermostat that the family can handle and use that as your guide. Our’s is 66 degrees and sometimes I can be stingy and turn it down to 64 degrees.  If  your thermostat is programmable use the feature to lower the temp during the day when you might not be home and set it to come on an hour before you get home. Also lower the temps slightly for late night (everyone can wear extra heavy jammies if needed or an extra blanket)
6. Menu planning, ok don’t think it helps to have a plan? well when it comes time to cook, with a plan I can go to the fridge or freezer and pull out exactly what I need, otherwise the boys and I will stand in front of the freezer with the door open trying to figure out what to have for dinner… what a waste of electricity.

What are your favorite ways to cut electricity use? Share your ideas below and have a wonderful week.