Read those meters, people!

**MommyinTX** · 08-17-2008, 04:11 PM

I started reading our utility meters last month, and I can't tell you how educational that has been! I read them every day at noon, since we are usually home then. It is so motivational to know that everything we do at home affects those numbers, and I also now know that we really wasted so much water...it wasn't a leak, thankfully. I know that if it's too cloudy/wet to hang out laundry, at least the air conditioner will get a break to help compensate for using the dryer. It is definitely more efficient to turn the air off or way up when we leave the house.

We managed to get a slightly lower bill for August in spite of two weeks of temperatures over 100!

I became the utilities nazi when I realized that the combined bills are more than our mortgage. Ack!

Becky in TX

**Wendy99** · 08-17-2008, 05:15 PM

we have a gas meter, but i'm not sure how to read it .. i should prob learn .. think there is information on the bill on how to do that .. would be neat .. our hydro is a power stat so we can daily how much we spend .. i love that - we prepay it .. wish all the bills were like that

**dancar3** · 08-17-2008, 05:15 PM

I agree! One afternoon a couple of months ago I went in the backyard to look at the meter, and when I saw how fast it was going around, I tried to figure out what it was we were doing. After conducting a little experiment withe dryer (dh would open turn it off & then turn it back on) we concluded that was a biggie right there (along with AC). We went out that very afternoon and bought our first clothesline and I've been hooked on it ever since. I now read the meter every 2 days and write down the numbers to see how we're doing, and it does kinda become a game to see if you can beat the amount of kwh's you used the previous day. This month's bill from 15 July - 15 Aug was $88 and last year at the same time it was $182, we are pretty happy with that.

**cottageliving** · 08-18-2008, 08:57 PM

I started REALLY reading and monitoring the electric and natural gas meters when I was home all day unemployed last winter. Like you, that was when I stopped using my dryer. I use it max once a month now.

I purchased an Energy Star dishwasher that uses only 2 gallons of water and I could NOT believe how those 2 changes immediately cut my bill.

Also learned a strategy on FV that I still use today. The only light on in my house is the room I am actually in. Sounds silly, but once we become aware of the 100s of utility/energy choices we make each day, we can really cut back without depriving ourselves.

Another benefit to reading our meters? Auditing the bills we receive!