# Question: offgrid, or just cut energy usage?



## litlrooh (May 6, 2008)

I'm not new to the idea of homesteading, but we live in a small town, not in the sticks. For now the goal is to cut living costs, so that the money we make working is for US, and not the government or big corps. I'm looking for ideas to cut our energy usage to the bare minimum, if not go off grid completely.

Just to give you an idea of where we're at, and what we need help with:

We heat with passive solar/wood, and rarely burn oil but in the summer its horribly humid here, and hot....I need more ideas on cooling.

The stove/water heater are propane.

The refridgerator, chest freezer, and washing machine are electric.

The tv and computer are electric, and I'm thinking about powering them differently.

The lighting is electric with compact fluorescent bulbs.

Our monthly electric bill was about 50-60 bucks, but since the electric companies have been allowed to increase their rates (or rather, take off their caps), its up to 85-120/month now.

Any ideas on what more we can do that would be the biggest bang for our buck?


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

How old are the refrigerator and freezer? Within the last 10 years or so, they have improved a lot in efficiency. How much electricity do you use? The dollar amount of your bill doesn't mean much as you don't say where you are, and electric rates vary a lot around the country. How would you power a TV or computer with anything other than electricity? Getting rid of the TV, however, would be good for your mental health in addition to saving a little electricity. If you keep it, unplug it when not in use. Shut off the computer when not using it. That will make a little difference, not a lot, but every bit helps. 

Hard to say what would help, though, without knowing how much you use. Making an inventory of EVERYTHING that uses electricity, no matter how small of an amount, will help you realize how many things are running all the time, and may suggest things to unplug when not in use.


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## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

Hi,
You might check for cooling ideas here:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooling/passive_cooling.htm

Not all the ideas apply to all climates, but there might be something helpful there.

Good insulation and good infiltration sealing help both summer and winter.
Cutting your heat gain through windows can make a big difference. For south facing windows, overhangs work, but for east and west you need some thing that blocks the sun outside the window.

You might look into solar water heating:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/water_heating.htm
Some of the schemes are pretty simple and cheap.

How many kilowatt hours do you use per month? This should be on your bill.

Gary


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

Taking a conventionally operated home and converting it to solar or another alternative energy source is an expensive endeavor. You would be wiser to work with what you have and make efforts to reduce whatever usages you can at this point..

As for cooling, take a look at this. If you have enough property around your home, this could work..

http://mb-soft.com/solar/saving.html
~Don


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## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

Even with a $100 electric bill, 10%-15% of that is most likely in fixed charges, which leaves about $90 worth of usage. Saving 20% would equate to a whole $18 monthly savings. You may decide to tackle lots of small cheap "energy efficiency projects" such as eliminating drafts, better insulation, timers, window shades, etc.

A "kill-a-watt" meter (device which lets you measure electricity usage of devices) is definately a good investment, and will help you make better decisions with regard to electricity and future purchases. For example, my 8 year old refridgerator costs about $4.50 per month to operate. I could purchase a newer more energy efficient refridgerator, costing $1000, and would save me maybe $2.00 per month - obviously not a very wise investment.

If you drive a vehicle and pay insurance, there may be far more opportunity to save money in that area - without much investment. I made a real effort to shop around for insurance and saved about $650 per year - went to a more fuel efficient vehicle, saving another $450 per year (and more as the price of fuel rises), etc. 

Also, a stove or water heater powered by propane does not mean its a good value. It may be inefficient, there may be fixed charges associated with propane, propane prices may be rising faster than electric rates, whatever. 

Energy is energy, and whether thats in the form of wood, propane, electricity, gasoline, etc. - there are costs associated with each of them and they all must be examined carefully if your goal is to save money.

.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

Before you go and try to save money, know your usage and how much of your bill is really under your control. Many bills are fixed charges and even if you didnt use a single KW of power you would still get a sizable bill. Your charges should be broken out. Determine if what you can save is really worth it.


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## greg273 (Aug 5, 2003)

As far as 'alternative energy', solar hot water has probably the best and quickest return on your investment.


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