Energy Consumption - a summer question!

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-21-2003
Energy Consumption - a summer question!
14
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 6:10am

Hello all,

you probably know me as someone thinking about not only saving money so I can get rid of my debts, but also about saving the planet (or at least adding to that) by thinking about my day to day habits.

It is from these two, intertwined points of view, that I noticed one thing:
For most people, energy conservation/utilities bills seem to be a 'winter' issue. It is easy to keep in mind that energy is not for free at the moment you receive the heating bill. Many people on this board have shared great ideas how to keep the heating bills low.

So I'd like to invite everyone to join in finding as many good ideas about saving power and other energy in summer! :-)

My two favorites are:
- Do not use the electric dryer to dry the laundry. Use a clothes line, or a collapsible laundry horse (?); it just takes a few hours for the laundry to dry.

- Switch off the air condition, or at least think about what temperature you consider acceptable. If in winter a slightly lower setting on the heating is okay, how about using a slightly higher setting that usual on the ac in summer? It probably will not save a huge amount of energy if you do - but every little bit helps you, and the environment, too. I live in a flat without any ac, even though temepratures can be hot an humid over here, too. Of course, it is easier if you live in an old house with thick outer walls which keep out some of the heat. And the insulation that helps keeping the warmth inside in winther is helping to keep out the heat during summer, too :-)

What are your energy savings tipps for summer?

Eager to hear them,
Greetings, Jordis

ivy_jordis

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-1999
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 7:15am

I am trying to watch the driving this summer....trying to conserve cash and gas. I need my air conditioning........ I have unscrewed some of the lightbulbs around my bathroom mirror to save on electricity. I really don't need them all to light up.

Littlesbigs

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 7:32am

DH and I refuse to get A.C. :)

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 11:15am

Hi Jordis,

Thanks for posting this! As a resident of the Southeastern U.S., I definitely worry more about summer costs than winter. It's so warm here! I also worry about water costs--summertime means watering the plants, water play for the kids, etc. It seems my water bill goes up by almost 100% in summer.

So far this year, we've had a mild Spring and it looks like a mild summer. Still, most people have turned on their ACs by now, but not us. How do we cope? We open windows at night when it is cooler outside than indoors. We turn on fans. And we make sure we get good cross-ventilation. I leave the front and rear doors open all day for the through-breeze, as well as most of the windows. Also, to reduce solar heat gain, I keep window shades closed on the sides of the house receiving sunlight. This has kept the house under 85 degrees so far this Spring, which is a manageable temperature. We just get used to being a little warmer, but the body really does adjust. I have to wear a sweater when I go somewhere air conditioned! LOL

I love the dryer idea--maybe I can get something portable. I dry my clothes outdoors some of the time, and want to do it all the time, but so far I just haven't found an arrangement that works well--I hang the clothes on the railings, but they can get dirty there and sometimes blow off. There's not a really good spot for a permanent clothes line, though I'd like to try a retractable one--only I don't know where I'd attach it that would leave the line still in the sun. So maybe a portable one is the answer.

As for water... I don't really know how to fix that one. We've had a wet season so far so it hasn't been too bad. But I can't bring myself to tell the kids they can't play in the sprinkler or fill their little sandbox/pool (especially since there's no AC, lol), so they use a lot of water on hot days. Also, dh gave me a water timer for my birthday (it was less than $10) last year, and that is helping a lot with the watering--no more turning on the sprinkler and then forgetting about it and leaving it on all day. The watering really is necessary, as I have an organic garden that produces some of our summer food, so I'm not willing to give that up. I do let the ornamental plantings mostly fend for themselves, though, and try to plant things that can take the heat and a little dry spell now and then. I know soaker hoses would be more efficient than sprinklers, but I just haven't found the room on my priority list to purchase and install the equipment.

Anyway, thanks for getting us thinking, Jordis!

Blessings,

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-23-2005
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 1:00pm

Hi Jordis,


In Seattle, not many people have air conditioning because the temperature is only unbearable for about 2 months out of the year.

lvhunnie2005

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2006
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 1:11pm

I always dried my clothes on racks except the sheets (even the towels) for the last year. Actually for the last 6 months up until last week, I did not have a dryer so hung the sheets too. I don't use the AC because I think the house stays cool enough. If it warms up, I just have to open the windows (a light breeze is about 15 mph around here LOL) or go into the basement (I have a lot still left to organize from the move into a much smaller house) where it can be chilly. I try to combine errands since I live about 25 miles from the big town (we only have a bar and the PO in our town) to cut down on gas usage and wear and tear on the car. I usually try not to turn on lights until I have to, I have always been one to walk through the house in the dark rather than have the lights on.

Now if I could do anything to cut down the water cost but that won't happen. It is 65/mth no matter how much you use (no meters).

Avatar for skthurber
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 5:22pm

Ok, we have AC, and we use it. However, we put off turning it on until it hits 90. Then we use our programmable thermostat, just like we do for our heat in the winter. If we have a break in temps, we will shut the AC off for a few days. We also grill outside more and use the toaster oven instead of turning the big oven on.

-Sarah

Sarah


Mom to Gina & Tony


 


Avatar for 2locachicas
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2003
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 6:42pm
I do a lot of the things that other poster's had mentioned but I also try to do my laundry in off peak times. It is more expensive at certain hours so I have started doing laundry late at night/early in the morning. We don't have our air on yet(YEAH!) but when we do this will help because we won't be unnecessarily raising the heat...
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2006
Thu, 06-15-2006 - 7:54pm
I'm in S.FL we tried to turn off A/C but this winter was so warm it was unbearable with the humidity some nights to sleep. We have programmable thermastat and use that to turn it off just before we wake up in the a.m and turn on just before we expect to get home in the afternoon. Of course, we keep lights off till 8 pm and SO just redid wood trims around both front and back doors so they shut tight, no more cracks of light and wasted energy there.

Proud sister of a Marine:

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Avatar for endomagazine
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2004
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 10:56am

Hello,


For the person who mentioned their organic garden that needs watering, have you considered watering at night, when the water is more likely to be absorbed and will evaporate less? You could water

Sincerely,
Lindsey Schocke

Geeks on Tap: Mission Accomplished

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 11:39am

Electricity is a big summer expense for me based on where I live. In Houston, a/c runs all day in the summertime. I keep the thermostat on 78 daytime and sometimes nudge it to 80 at night and during school year when everyone's gone during the day. My last bill was a shocking $469! But I was having trouble with the a/c unit not working correctly. It has been repaired and hopefully that will lower the bill. We also have a pool and in the summer the filter needs to run 12 hours a day or algae grows, that sucks up alot of energy. But we love using the pool--you can't stand being outdoors in July and August unless you're wet. Today the predicted high is 95 and 99% humidity--it will only get worse. The upside is the pleasant winter--I make it a game to see how long I can go without turning on the heat. Sometimes it's way into December. The kids complain, but I love the chance to wear a sweater and cook soup. I think our water bill is really reasonable even with a pool and teenagers' marathon showers. This month $36. We get a fair amount of rain, and the yard is small, so I do very little grass watering.

I haven't ever been organized enough time-wise to air dry clothes. Many posters say they save doing this. I'll have to give it a try. I personally am awful about leaving lights on, despite my best efforts. Has anyone seen much of an effect on the bill with turning lights, etc. off when not in use?

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