How to save money on your electric bill?

[jjthink]

Definitely not the thing to do with a migraine!!!!!!! Hope it's gone soon.

I hope JCP&L will be more responsive than PSE&G has been to date.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

Thanks JJ. I hope so as well as we are running half the stuff and not for a long time. how can it be higher than when we where running everything at a longer rate. I dont want to cancel my egg orders but if we have to in order to save some green then I have to

. There was something on the news yesterday about electricity and food prices rising where people in there 50s are moving back in with there parents.

 

[Poison Ivy]

This can let you see what some things will cost you to run. I've seen where they say is cost $7 a month to run one ceiling fan. I would call the electric company and have them come out a do a test on your house.

http://www.csgnetwork.com/elecenergycalcs.html

 

[JerseyCuteChick]

my dad says you might have a ground fault somewhere. We got a bill last summer for over $2000. A pipe with the electrical wires leading to thr barn had rusted, and the electricity was running into the ground.

We also got this killer watt thing that lets you see how much power all your stuff uses.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/review/kill_a_watt_electric_usage_monitor_review

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

thanks jerseycutechick. I will have to look into that as well and see if we are having problems with a faulty wire.

 

[pips&peeps]

Are you sure there is not a leak in your water pipes also? That would make your well pump run constantly and run up the bill......

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

pips&peeps :

Are you sure there is not a leak in your water pipes also? That would make your well pump run constantly and run up the bill......

I checked the pipes for leaks. the pump turns on over 5 times a day so that could be it.​

 

[patandchickens]

First, I know you don't want to hear this with your love of hatching and chicks, but heat lamps, heat mats etc really suck down the electricity

Second, unless you are using MASSIVELY more heat lamps etc this year than last (and I can't concieve of how much heat lamp use could make your bill rise 5-8x what it was!), it sounds like you have electricity going somewhere you don't know about. As someone suggested, a ground fault is possible -- also, it, errrm, has been known to happen that neighbors, especially ones growing uh illegal plant life under grow-lights, can secretly tap into another house's electric service and cause HUGE electric bills. You need to have someone from the power company come out and check your service.

One thing you can do yourself is to go out to the meter. See how fast it's spinning. Write it down (numbers per time unit)

Now go back in the house and unplug everything, I mean EVERY THING, even the heat lamps and freezer and fridge and all (they'll only be off for a very short while). When you've got everything you can possibly unplug, unplugged, go out and look at the meter again. What is it doing now?

If it is still spinning, go inside and throw the breaker (or pull the fuse) to your water heater if it's electric and anything else you couldn't unplug. Look at the meter again. Still moving? Go in and try to locate the master switch (breaker) for your whole box. Turn it off. Now what is the meter doing? (Now go back in, turn the breakers back on, and plug everything back in <g>) This will give you an idea of where your electricity is going -- known electric devices versus Mysterious Places.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[ams3651]

Many electric companies have some kind of tests they can do to see what is taking the most electricity and they can tell you where you could cut costs. PPL has it on their website maybe your company has a similar thing. We just turn off the lights, drives me crazy when I walk back the hall and discover my son has turned them all on! We watch tv in the dark, have a night light in the bathroom and kitchen. Dont flush the toilet unless you have to if you know what I mean. Computers are a HUGE draw on your electricity, I would really turn them off when your not using them. Also I heard somewhere that a freezer that is less than 1/2 full uses more electricity to stay cold. We have frozen 2 liter bottles of water in ours. I still say your best bet is to call your electric company.

 

[patandchickens]

a well pump running 5x/day isn't going to use hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of electricity.

However if your well pump is running frequently and for just brief periods (like, less than a coupla minutes for a 50-100 gal pressure tank), you need to check your pressure tank as it has probably lost pressure. If it is one of the newer ones with a pressurized bladder it will need to be replaced, but older pressure tnks have a valve that you can attach an air compressor to, and blow them back up to the right pressure (usually around 40 psi or so).

If you let the well pump keep making up for a defunct or underpressurized pressure tank, soon enough your well pump will burn out and you will have to replace or extensively repair not just the tank but also the pump.

Just a heads-up,

Pat