Lowering my electric bill

My extra efforts to reduce my electric bill are paying off - literally. I just received one of the lowest electric bills I've had in years - only $76. My electric bill routinely runs at least $100+ more than that! What am I doing?

• I use only CFL (compact fluorescent lights) throughout the house in every light fixture.
• I use power strips to plug in everything and I turn them off when the items aren't in use. The coffee pot and microwave, for instance, are on a strip and since they both have clocks, turning them off keeps any unnecessary power from being used. (I never use the clocks on them anyway.) Even things like phone chargers can be a constant drain if not unplugged or the strip turned off.
• I cut the power strip off to my TV and DVD player so that the stand-by modes don't pull power. The DVD player "remembers" everything even when there's no power source.
• I keep my AC turned up to where it's not chilly in here at all, just comfortable, and I dress appropriately. I use ceiling fans to circulate air so it feels more comfortable and yet I can use less AC.
• I cook enough three times a week to carry us over for the days in between so my stove isn't on and it isn't generating heat that would cause the AC to work harder.
• I'm even careful with water usage, since we're on a well, to keep the well pump from running unnecessarily.
• I stay on top of hot water usage by reminding Son to NOT let the water run in the tub for his shower before he actually turns the shower on. The water heater is less than a foot from the tub faucet!
• I wash clothes twice a week in cold water and always hang them out to dry.
• I rinse my dishes in cold water after washing them in hot sudsy water.
• I always use cold water to start cooking. The time saved using hot water is minuscule as it seems to reach boiling in about the same amount of time anyway.
• I choose countertop appliances whenever possible to keep from turning on the stove. My 120 watt electric skillet, crock pot, and steamer work great with a much lower electrical pull than the 240 watt stove. They all heat up faster and cook using less electricity overall.
• I have a chest freezer that I use a lot, even to store leftovers for future meals. Keeping it full uses less electricity than having it half empty and it trying to freeze the air space inside it. More frozen food inside makes for better cooling efficiency.
• The big "plus" of a chest freezer is that the cold air doesn't fall out when you open it, like it does with an upright freezer. This design feature reduces the recovery time it needs.

Even Son has become more energy conscious, taking on the same energy-conscious habits in his room!

Keep in mind that I live in a very small house, but even in a large home you might be able to implement some of these ideas to lower your electric bill. Every penny counts!

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