Reduction in the Electric Bill

**beks37** · 05-07-2010, 12:12 PM

It seems that every month my electricity bill gets more and more expensive. Well, this month, it was the cheapest it has been in a long time! I used far less electricity than I have in a long time! I was trying to trace back the cause because I haven't noticed anything different. We haven't been running heat or air for a few months, so that wasn't it.

Then I figured it out....we had just bought a new computer to replace the nearly 10 year old desktop. I left the desktop on all the time and it didn't have the neat "sleep" feature the new one has. So, while I had to spend money to get a new computer, I am saving money on electricity! That is kind of exciting! I'll have to trace back to see how long it has been since my electric bill was this low!

FYI..my kwh went down about 200 kwh and my bill went down over $20! Doesn't seem like a lot, but when my bill is for 550kwh and it went down to less than 350kwh, it is a lot!

**savvy_sniper** · 05-07-2010, 12:20 PM

WTG Becky! Every little bit counts! I turn off my printer and speakers when not needed. I also turn off my monitor when leaving the room for short periods of time. If I am not going to use my computer for longer periods of time I turn it off COMPLETELY.

**Grainlady** · 05-08-2010, 07:52 AM

WOW! Hard to believe it's that much, but I guess that's why they call it "phantom" electricity. I only turn the printer on when needed, and our new computer has some energy efficient features and the tower runs cooler (COOL MASTER). I turn everything off at night at a power strip.

**frugalwarrior2** · 05-08-2010, 10:04 AM

Bek37 that's "phantastic". If you mean per month that $20x12=$240. that can be used for something.

Ours has been down slightly but DH has been on the road. Our budget went down $5. so i guess $120. fell back in my pocket. I can vaccinate 2 cats for that.

Energy saving. Woot.

**krbshappy71** · 05-08-2010, 11:19 AM

Great Savings!! Over the future years of the computer that will really add up! Our work-pc-tech told us that the newest Windows 7 computers are so good at sleep-energy-conservation that we don't need to shut them down and he is asking that we do not. Just a tip.

My home computer is still XP so I shut it down for going to work and going to bed but leave it up and "sleeping" during the weekend because I'm on and off it all day. Granted, if I know I'm leaving for an event several hours I'll shut it off but I'm a real techy-junkie so weekends are my goof-off computer time.

**Contrary Housewife** · 05-08-2010, 11:22 AM

Ours is usually low this time of year too, because we aren't using either the heat (electric fan) or the AC yet.

**falan** · 05-08-2010, 01:27 PM

I'd be excited about that, too. Lower electric bills = awesome.

**MomK** · 05-09-2010, 10:25 PM

Way to go!

**frugalfranny** · 05-10-2010, 02:35 AM

wow....congrats. Any savings helps.

If you can reach you dryer plug........unplug it when not using it. That helped mine. I can go days w/o using it so why have it plugged in?

**Luckybustert** · 05-10-2010, 04:12 AM

That's great -- glad to hear it's saved you money! And I think I will try using this as my new argument for why we should go ahead and replace my computer...wish me luck!

**beks37** · 05-10-2010, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by frugalfranny

wow....congrats. Any savings helps.

If you can reach you dryer plug........unplug it when not using it. That helped mine. I can go days w/o using it so why have it plugged in?

Just curious on how unplugging the dryer saves money? Does it pull electricity even while not in use?? I think the plug in is fairly easy to get to...may just have to try it out and track it.

Originally Posted by Luckybustert

That's great -- glad to hear it's saved you money! And I think I will try using this as my new argument for why we should go ahead and replace my computer...wish me luck!

Good luck LB!! I had no idea it was taking so much electricity!!

**mndtrp** · 05-18-2010, 02:50 AM

Originally Posted by beks37

Just curious on how unplugging the dryer saves money? Does it pull electricity even while not in use?? I think the plug in is fairly easy to get to...may just have to try it out and track it.

Anything that's plugged in will use some trace amounts of electricity, even while off. The bricks especially use power.