# Reduce elec. use/Prepare for alt. energy



## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

I would like to hear your experience in 

1) *reducing electrical usage* to prepare for using alternative energy
AND
2) *non-electric items* you use.

After reading these threads, Alternative energy feasability http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=379771 and Over-looked energy saving devices http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=220498 (a sticky at the top of the alternative energy forum), *I still have questions and want to refine my focus on what actually works.
*
We have the electric heat pump/central air conditioning and water heater. We cook and bake with propane. Our home is 1300 square feet, built in 2007/2008. It is insulated moderately well and has low-end double-paned windows. It's just DH, me and our cat. Two grandbabies are with us 2-4 days a week.

So far we:
*set the electric heat pump at 67Âº (69Âº when the grandbabies are here)
*wash all clothes in cold water
*stopped using the clothes dryer, hang all clothes on line to dry
*reduced use of the dishwasher from daily to 3 times per week
*use hot water from the taps only for bathing
*wash hands in cold water
*put the tv, vcr and dvd player on a power strip, only on for use (exercise or movies)
*turn printer/scanner on only for use
*unplug the dsl modem and network router at night
*unplug the unused laptop power cord (have 2) at all times
*put desktop computer and laptop to "sleep" when not in use (auto settings)
*supplement heat with a kerosene heater for an hour or two a day and circulate the warm air with the hvac fan (keeping in mind kerosene is $3.59 a gallon!)

Compared to one year ago, our latest bill is 960 kwh versus 2012 kwh. This is still 32 kwh per day, BUT in mild months last year we used as little as 17-20 kwh per day and that was when we were not paying attention to our electrical usage.

The average outside temperature for our Dec-Jan bill was only two degrees different than for our Jan-Feb bill, so those periods were basically the same conditions. Our Jan-Feb usage is 15% lower than our Dec-Jan bill. The one change was our hot water. This was the period when we decided to use hot water only for bathing and to use the dishwasher a lot less. We did not turn the hot water heater off or use a timer.

Whether in this home or, God willing, the homestead we hope to purchase once our old home sells, we want to live such that we depend as little as possible on electricity. We knew we had to actually reduce our usage, so here we are. We are encouraged to see our efforts pay off, but we know *we are at the very beginning of the changes needed to live a mostly non-electric lifestyle. I look forward to learning more from your experiences.*


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Congratulations ! You're among the very first I've seen take this in the proper steps....which is cut use, then cut some more, then cut some more, and finally approach production !

Some suggestions:

1. Switch your water heater to tankless propane.

2. Look at the age on your fridge. Our "older" side by side 22cuft Whirlpool ( age 13yrs ) used 1200kw/hrs/year. Our new GE french door/bottom freezer 25cuft uses 550kw/hrs/yr.....that is 54/month right there. The newer models BLOW the older ones away with efficiency......and that is something that would be traveling with you if you sell.

3. Look at your lighting. CFL's are good, LED's are better. Re-did our kitchen, which had 3 4'/2tube flouresent lights over head....each tube rated at 40w x 6 = 240w ( plus I suspect from the heat given off by the ballasts in each fixture, probably another 100w or so )......so say 340w.

Replaced with 8 ( actually 11, but 3 are on separate switch for lighting only one area when needed ) LR6 LED's, ( in recessed fixtures ) at 10.5w each, so cut that use to 84w WITH MORE LIGHT believe it or not !

Replacing all incandescent bulbs with CFL or LED bulbs. LED are higher, but give better light and last longer, so cost is almost a wash.

4. Consider some form of wood heat. You're right in the middle of the best hardwood country, great source of heat, even if you just do a small stove and a metal chimney. Do that FOR SURE in your new place.

5. More insulation, if possible. And when you go new, put twice whatever the recommended amount is most new construction is doing. My walls are double 2x4 construction, with 9" of insulation and 1" foam board on the outside.....about an R-35 wall.....twice the recommended R-19. Overhead is R-38.

We have our use down to about 750/month on the house only ( I have a wood shop on the same meter, and depending on the amount of time I'm in the shop, affects the house meter )

See here for our use and solar production:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showpost.php?p=4891882&postcount=9


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## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

You have done well cutting your electric usage in 1/2 but still seems high considering all the skimping you are doing. I suspect the heat pump is a big user along with the elec water heater but you will pay for heat one way or another so maybe you are doing pretty good overall.

We use around 600 kwh mo. in the winter with 3 people, elec. water heater backed up by solar( preheated water ) elec. clothes dryer, dishwasher, chest freezer etc.... but have gone as low as 400 kwh mo. in summer since installing the solar water heater.

1500 sq. ft. home not including full basement with passive solar gain for supplemental heating . 

I agree with TN Andy about wood heating, thats all we use here. 

Think solar when you move !

There is a energy usage chart here based on national averages which might help look at what the biggies are

http://www.consumerspower.org/home_energy/billestimator.php


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## kirkmcquest (Oct 21, 2010)

I have looked into solar but the price seems prohibitive. Not sure what sense it makes to spend 10 thousand dollars on a system that will cut my monthly bill from 60 bucks to 30 bucks.

It will be 30 years before it pays for itself...assuming no repair or replacement cost.


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## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

I was referring to passive solar for heating and solar hot water which a handyman type can build and install for a fraction of the price of manufactured products.
Just to clarify.....
But yeah, solar electric is a different ballgame.


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

TnAndy - I wrote an answer to your post and I must have messed up because it's gone. But I will get back to you later today or tomorrow. I am excited to have more information!!


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

woodsy said:


> You have done well cutting your electric usage in 1/2 but still seems high considering all the skimping you are doing. I suspect the heat pump is a big user along with the elec water heater but you will pay for heat one way or another so maybe you are doing pretty good overall.
> 
> We use around 600 kwh mo. in the winter with 3 people, elec. water heater backed up by solar( preheated water ) elec. clothes dryer, dishwasher, chest freezer etc.... but have gone as low as 400 kwh mo. in summer since installing the solar water heater.
> 
> ...


Yes! Wood heat for sure and I have been reading about solar water heating. Can you give details on your solar water situation?

The link was a very thorough electrical usage calculator - better than the one I'd used previously, thanks!


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

kirkmcquest said:


> I have looked into solar but the price seems prohibitive. Not sure what sense it makes to spend 10 thousand dollars on a system that will cut my monthly bill from 60 bucks to 30 bucks.
> 
> It will be 30 years before it pays for itself...assuming no repair or replacement cost.





woodsy said:


> I was referring to passive solar for heating and solar hot water which a handyman type can build and install for a fraction of the price of manufactured products.
> Just to clarify.....
> But yeah, solar electric is a different ballgame.


It does seem clear to us that replacing grid-tied electric service is out of our reach, however...

A certain amount of solar seems smart. Lighting and computers look like a possibility, and maybe even some refrigeration. What do you guys do or see out there?


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

kirkmcquest said:


> I have looked into solar but the price seems prohibitive. Not sure what sense it makes to spend 10 thousand dollars on a system that will cut my monthly bill from 60 bucks to 30 bucks.
> 
> It will be 30 years before it pays for itself...assuming no repair or replacement cost.


Agree, as long as two assumptions hold true:

1. The price of power stays about the same.

2. Power is always available on demand. ( Bear in mind rolling blackouts have already happened in California and Texas )

IF either of those assumptions prove to be untrue, you might be glad you put in some solar.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Since you hope to sell I'd consider putting in a wood stove this Spring when they go on sale. Mind you it won't have to be the stove set up you'd want permanently just a basic, cute stove the works well. Something that you could put a pot on to cook. 
It would be a great selling point. 
Give you experience with living the wood heat lifestyle. And it is a lifestyle. 
You might also be able to recoup your costs in short order if you used the stove to it's full measure. From what you wrote in your post I can see that happening.

I have no experience with a heat pump as we have a natural gas furnace (80% eff.) but I can say that the few times this winter that we have had it on the electric bill shot right up due to the blower motor/fan.
Month before last we only used $12 of electric but had over $30 for taxes, tarriffs, line fees ect. We use CFL's and only have lights on when in the room.
We had hoped to take advantage of the energy tax credits to replace the hot water heater with a tankless even though it runs on natural gas. I do have two hot water blankets on the heater & it is 8 years old.

Here's our list of non-electric items that we have or currently use;
Non-electric ice box (now 1940's fridge very energy eff.)
Hand cranked egg beaters
Manual grain mill
namual can opener
Bread bucket - kneads bread dough
Squeezo strainer - used for prepping produce for canning
manual salad master (takes the place of a food processor)
French press coffee maker
Percolator coffee maker
manual coffee grinder
Stove top oven for wood stove baking
Wood stove for cooking
Wood stove for drying clothes (clothes drier died 4 or 5 yrs ago)
rapid washer & homemade rapid washer ( use front loader washer)
wash board
clothes ringer
oil lamps (hardly use)
re purposed solar garden lights for indoor & task lighting


~~ pelenaka ~~
http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.com/


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

jlrbhjmnc said:


> It does seem clear to us that replacing grid-tied electric service is out of our reach, however...
> 
> A certain amount of solar seems smart. Lighting and computers look like a possibility, and maybe even some refrigeration. What do you guys do or see out there?



Well, I'm NEVER going 'off grid' if I can help it......it's just too cheap and convenient to flip a switch when I need power.

BUT I'm not convinced the grid will always be available or dependable. Many places in the world, they live with power a few hours/day, and pay an arm and leg for it.

Our grid is old, outdated, and in need of a LOT of work...that will either cost a lot ( raising rates ) OR not get done at all, meaning less reliable service down the road.

AND there is the possibility of total grid failure do to economic collapse or war.

With that in mind, I put in a system that will do about 1/3 of our power needs. I figure that will take care of the basics....some refrigeration, some lights, and use of a few machines like the washer.

The rest is stuff we could do without, and still live a lifestyle of the 20th century. 

I could have put in a whole house generator, but then you have the problem of fuel, AND the fact it pays nothing in return along the way, where the solar at least contributes to it's initial cost, and upkeep.


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## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

jlrbhjmnc said:


> Yes! Wood heat for sure and I have been reading about solar water heating. Can you give details on your solar water situation?
> 
> The link was a very thorough electrical usage calculator - better than the one I'd used previously, thanks!


Our solar water situation :

Going on two years in operation with average approx savings of 250 kwh month or about $400.00 annual savings in dollars. 

We can actually turn off the elec. water heater for extended periods during some months of good sunshine , not too much during the darker winter months .
Homebuilt system costing $1200.00. 

I got everything i needed to know about it here at Build it Solar and contributed my plans found in the 1K systems area. 

Lots of other good info there about energy conservation too !


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## vallyfarm (Oct 24, 2006)

My house was built 7 yrs ago and is 1,000 sqft. using 6" wall ins, R40 in attic, double pane windows. Heat by wood, cook, dryer propane, hot water by oil. And only in the heat of summer does my electric ever hit 320kwts for the month. That is with 2 med size window A/C's running. Is this concidered good enough to think about solar/wind, or do I still need to cut out more ele. usage?:shrug: Mike


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

TnAndy said:


> Congratulations ! You're among the very first I've seen take this in the proper steps....which is cut use, then cut some more, then cut some more, and finally approach production !
> 
> Some suggestions:
> 
> ...


Thanks, TnAndy! That link is very helpful. Real numbers on a real family's system.


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

Pelenaka said:


> Since you hope to sell I'd consider putting in a wood stove this Spring when they go on sale. Mind you it won't have to be the stove set up you'd want permanently just a basic, cute stove the works well. Something that you could put a pot on to cook.
> It would be a great selling point. *A good compromise.*
> Give you experience with living the wood heat lifestyle. And it is a lifestyle.
> You might also be able to recoup your costs in short order if you used the stove to it's full measure. From what you wrote in your post I can see that happening.*Daddy disconnected the electric furnace when I was a girl and put in a wood stove, so I grew up with the wood stove and kerosene heaters. We cut, split and stacked wood in the summers wherever he found wood for free.*
> ...


*Thank you! That is just the sort of list I was hoping for. It helps me prioritize purchases. Can't buy it all at once .*


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

TnAndy said:


> Agree, as long as two assumptions hold true:
> 
> 1. The price of power stays about the same.
> 
> ...


This is our thinking, too. We just have to get enough experience with living with less electricity and also learn a lot more about solar systems. The rolling blackouts in Texas showed us we were on the right track. We think the most vulnerable system in America is the electrical grid. Recently another HT'er posted that he thought we'd all do best to go non-electric as much as possible and I have to say I've come to the conclusion that he's correct. We'll enjoy the grid as we can, but things really seem to be changing.


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

vallyfarm said:


> My house was built 7 yrs ago and is 1,000 sqft. using 6" wall ins, R40 in attic, double pane windows. Heat by wood, cook, dryer propane, hot water by oil. And only in the heat of summer does my electric ever hit 320kwts for the month. That is with 2 med size window A/C's running. Is this concidered good enough to think about solar/wind, or do I still need to cut out more ele. usage?:shrug: Mike


I can't say, but with all your major items being non-electric, 320 sounds decent to me - especially if that 320 is ONLY when you use the air conditioning. What's your winter electric usage?


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

We've lived off the electric grid for over a decade now in this house and a lot of folks visit and don't know we aren't connected. Heck, even the electric company doesn't know we aren't connected. They come and tell us when they are planning a power outage for whatever reason.

Anything that makes heat with electricity should be considered an "energy hog" and carefully scrutinized before use. An electric blanket is okay. The air popcorn popper is 25 watts from the limit on our small inverter so I generally start the generator for the two or three minutes it takes to make popcorn. The tabletop incubators are okay to use on the system during the summer, not so good during the winter. We have a new refrigerator and it is okay to use on the system, too. Along with a new chest freezer. Our system is pretty small - just eight 150 watt solar panels, some deep cycle batteries, a solar charger and an inverter along with a gas generator backup. Vacuum cleaners use a lot of power, but those little floor robots don't so get Roombas!

Let's see, most of the lights are CFL's. All the electronics are on power strips. Most of the power tools are okay, but welders run off the generator. 

Some of the non-electric things we have are:
1. A French press for making coffee, as well as a camp coffeepot, too.
2. a manual salad cutter - it's called a "Hollywood Salad Maker" and is vintage.
3. a treadle sewing machine
4. a treadle lathe - it is probably a "micro-lathe" though, I use it for clock repairs.
5. a spinning wheel
6. a hand crank grain grinder - "Grainmaker" is the brand, it works well.
7. several stove top waffle irons. They are "antique" but work great.
8, a bit and brace for drilling holes as well as several other hand drills.
9. lots of hand tools such as saws and planes.
10. a "solar" clothes dryer. (i.e. a clothesline)

But we also have 1500 watts of power available from the inverter and the generator if the loads are heavier but we hardly ever start the generator. 

The electric rates around here are around forty cents a kilowatt hour so folks are real aware of energy use. However, it does make paying back for a photovoltaic system pretty easy.


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## Esteban29304 (Apr 29, 2003)

Congratulations on all your conservation ! You have done a great deal already & some tips above will help a little more. Many people " bad-mouth " heat pumps, but yours being only a couple of years old should be quite efficient . Where I live a heat pump makes better sense than propane ! Propane=$5-6 gallon, & that is with your own tank & searching for the best price !!! Electricity about 11 cents per kwh.

1. You can check with a heating/ a/c service if there is anything you can do to your present heat pump to increase its efficiency. 
2. Small fans help you feel cooler & save a/c costs.
3. Ceiling fans can too.
4.CFL bulbs are GREAT !!
5.Put computers & all its accessories on a power strip & turn off when not in use. It does NOT hurt them.
6. Wear heavier clothing inside in Winter & light clothing in Summer & you may be able to save a little more on heat & a/c costs.
7. If you have a coffee maker, switch to a 4 cup rather than a 12 cup maker. As soon as it is finished brewing, pour coffee into a thermos bottle.
8. If you are on a well, take shorter showers, shorter times washing machine loads to save electricity from your pump.
9. If you have electric water heater, set its thermostat lower , & add a timer to turn it off during times of day when not needed. Sometimes mine is only on once in 3 days ! Yes, I bathe every day , but quick showers, cold showers & or rinses in the Summer && I live alone.
10. Reduce the use of lighting, appliances, & anything else electrical.
11. Check with your electricity company , to see about cost savings plans.


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

hotzcatz said:


> We've lived off the electric grid for over a decade now in this house and a lot of folks visit and don't know we aren't connected. Heck, even the electric company doesn't know we aren't connected. They come and tell us when they are planning a power outage for whatever reason.
> 
> Anything that makes heat with electricity should be considered an "energy hog" and carefully scrutinized before use. An electric blanket is okay. The air popcorn popper is 25 watts from the limit on our small inverter so I generally start the generator for the two or three minutes it takes to make popcorn. The tabletop incubators are okay to use on the system during the summer, not so good during the winter. We have a new refrigerator and it is okay to use on the system, too. Along with a new chest freezer. Our system is pretty small - just eight 150 watt solar panels, some deep cycle batteries, a solar charger and an inverter along with a gas generator backup. Vacuum cleaners use a lot of power, but those little floor robots don't so get Roombas!
> 
> ...


Eek!! $.40 per kwh is painful. :shocked:

Your experience with various electric items and list of non-electric items is eye-opening. We have only one little hand drill. I hadn't even thought of drills, duh.

And I knew I wanted only hard floors with rugs that can be carried outside for cleaning and now I know why .

Your solar system sounds about the same as a home I've read about in eastern Tennessee. 

One question, hotzcatz: What type of cooking range do you use?


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

Esteban29304 said:


> Congratulations on all your conservation ! You have done a great deal already & some tips above will help a little more. Many people " bad-mouth " heat pumps, but yours being only a couple of years old should be quite efficient . Where I live a heat pump makes better sense than propane ! Propane=$5-6 gallon, & that is with your own tank & searching for the best price !!! Electricity about 11 cents per kwh...


Thanks for the encouragement. We're in about the same boat - electricity is between $.10 and $.12 per kwh depending on the season and propane is $3.20 per gallon or more, kerosene can be $3.59 per gallon, though both are less if you buy in the summer.

We have been impressed by the heat pump's efficiency, but wood heat will be the way to go as we move forward.

Looking at your list, I'm thinking we need to re-check the water heater thermostat with a thermometer at the tap and also see if a timer makes sense. Reducing hot water usage gave us the 15% savings on our last bill versus the previous one (same outside temps). So, maybe a timer would be worth it.


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## byexample (Aug 28, 2009)

I recommend that you look into solar hot water. Studies indicate that the energy consumed for hot water in the typical American household is about 15% of the total energy consumed. And there are many do-it-yourself solutions that I would expect to work very well in your area.

The other thing to look into is solar hot air heaters... another do-it-yourself type of project. There may be other ways to make your home more reliant on passive solar heating. Anytime you can use the Sun's heat directly you are saving money big-time.

Other things we've done to decrease our power consumption include:

1). We try to buy EnergyStar rated appliances when possible -- especially for large appliances. When shopping for anything that consumes power we always factor in how much power it consumes compared to other choices.

2). We tend to go with smaller appliances because they tend to draw less power. Most 15 cubic foot frig/freezers draw way less power than any of the 21 cubic foot frig/freezers, for example. Small crockpots draw less power than the big ones, etc.. Sometimes there are huge differences in power consumption for equivalent models.

3). We use hand-powered tools when possible. We will NEVER have an electric can opening here. Just no reason for it when a manual one works just fine. We use a hand masher for making mashed potatoes instead of firing up the hand-mixer. We even have learned to make our cookies without any of the modern gizmos that I used to be so attached to.

4). Explore alternative cooking methods. The cooking instructions for many things have been crafted for speed and convenience -- not energy efficiency. Pasta is a perfect example. Almost everyone follows the instructions to boil their pasta for 8-12 minutes or whatever it is. But you can also cook pasta by boiling it for 1-2 minutes and then shutting off the burner and letting the pasta sit covered in the hot water for 15 minutes or so. When cooked that way it uses about 25% of the energy that the traditional cooking instructions would have one consume. This is just one example of how alternative cooking methods can achieve significant energy savings.

Be well!


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Byexample thinking a lot like me.

Energy Star ratings ROCK and in my limited experience are dead on accurate as tested here.

Solar hot water is very nice,we go to a campground where all the showers are solar and by 10 am and as late as a couple hours after dark you can take a comfy shower.But at a cost like everything else.

Wood??? You are set! Get a pioneer maid stove or similar,it heats house,stove top,oven and all the hot water you could want,you plumb it right into your hot water system. Now thats NICE and Ive used one at friends place,Its a top pick of what we MUST do when we go offgrid with available wood on site.

TV's- size is exploding while energy usage going thru the floor. Now TV is an apples/oranges thing,Plasma vrs LCD vrs LCD with LED backlighting.

My 50 some odd inch Plasma uses 450-500 watts but Im on grid,and for the price of TV,and features,that was a good choice.Now 2 years later that same size,LCD with LED backlighting uses 150 watts,thats amazing!!!!!! Give it a couple years as the standard for TV's and the purchase price will be very good too.

Im more like the character who signs ElectroAmish. I dont want to hand grind grain,I want wondermill to blast it out. I like electric lights,TV,computer,refrigeration and washing machine and you can have them all at reasonable cost as long as the sun shines where you live.

Im going George Jetson,not Fred Flintstone into the future.Anyone in middle class range can do same IMO.

And I will add....great job on your steps so far,well done!!!!!


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

byexample said:


> I recommend that you look into solar hot water. Studies indicate that the energy consumed for hot water in the typical American household is about 15% of the total energy consumed. And there are many do-it-yourself solutions that I would expect to work very well in your area. *Before posting this thread, I wasn't so sure about solar water, but we got exactly 15% savings on our electric bill by reducing our use of the hot water heater. I'm convinced. We will have to educate ourselves.*
> 
> The other thing to look into is solar hot air heaters... another do-it-yourself type of project. There may be other ways to make your home more reliant on passive solar heating. Anytime you can use the Sun's heat directly you are saving money big-time.*One of the reasons we are interested in a berm home - if sited correctly, it will be warmer in winter (use less wood to heat) and cool in summer.*
> 
> ...


*Thank you!*


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

mightybooboo said:


> Byexample thinking a lot like me.
> 
> Energy Star ratings ROCK and in my limited experience are dead on accurate as tested here.*Good to know.*
> 
> ...


*Thank you very much! *


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Same story with boiled eggs,heat water just til it boils,then cover and set on stove for 15-20 minutes.

Makes the best most perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs ever,and they cant overcook,yolks perfect yellow without the green ring on em.


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## Esteban29304 (Apr 29, 2003)

Since you have done so much to conserve energy already, the next steps you take won't have such a dramatic effect. BUT, it will help. I feel you can shed another 15o-250 kwh off your bill without suffering. YES, water heater is an energy gobbler but it can be controlled by using the above methods. WHY let it turn off & on all day & night when it is not in use ??
Your Winters in W. North Carolina can get quite cold . [ I used to live in Spartanburg, S.C. ] Spend $10 & get a pack of interior plastic storm windows . This is the type that you apply & shrink with a hair dryer to fit. [ yes a hair dryer uses a lot of electricity but it is done in a few seconds. ] One box will do may windows & that will give you about the same as triple glass windows wood. Be sure to change your filter every month if using a cheaper filter. Open curtains to let light in rather than turning lights on. 
Again,,,, congratulations for all your efforts & if everyone would save , we would reduce our dependence on oil, coal, etc.


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## byexample (Aug 28, 2009)

mightybooboo said:


> Same story with boiled eggs,heat water just til it boils,then cover and set on stove for 15-20 minutes.
> 
> Makes the best most perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs ever,and they cant overcook,yolks perfect yellow without the green ring on em.


Haven't tried this approach with boiled eggs... thanks for the tip! 

Love these boards...


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

mightybooboo said:


> Same story with boiled eggs,heat water just til it boils,then cover and set on stove for 15-20 minutes.
> 
> Makes the best most perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs ever,and they cant overcook,yolks perfect yellow without the green ring on em.


*I've let them set for as little as 10 minutes with a good result. It's so easy! *



Esteban29304 said:


> Since you have done so much to conserve energy already, the next steps you take won't have such a dramatic effect. BUT, it will help. I feel you can shed another 15o-250 kwh off your bill without suffering. YES, water heater is an energy gobbler but it can be controlled by using the above methods. WHY let it turn off & on all day & night when it is not in use ?? *Agreed - new place will have solar water heating of some sort and we will price a timer for this home's water heater soon.*
> Your Winters in W. North Carolina can get quite cold. [ I used to live in Spartanburg, S.C. ] Spend $10 & get a pack of interior plastic storm windows . This is the type that you apply & shrink with a hair dryer to fit. [ yes a hair dryer uses a lot of electricity but it is done in a few seconds. ] One box will do may windows & that will give you about the same as triple glass windows wood. Be sure to change your filter every month if using a cheaper filter. Open curtains to let light in rather than turning lights on.
> Again,,,, congratulations for all your efforts & if everyone would save , we would reduce our dependence on oil, coal, etc. *And this winter has been unusually cold. I'll check the plastic - our double-paned windows are pretty cheap and I need to re-caulk in a lot of places. Not the finest construction in the world...*





byexample said:


> Haven't tried this approach with boiled eggs... thanks for the tip!
> 
> Love these boards...


*I was thinking that today while digging in the new garden spot - HT is the best! So encouraging PLUS all this great information based on real experience.*

*Everyone has been SO helpful. If anyone thinks of anything else or stops by this thread, please DO add your tips!*


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## Esteban29304 (Apr 29, 2003)

Here is the plastic window kit. I think it is an amazing product . It is not hard to install & DOES make a difference if your windows are drafty. A hair dryer pulls out all the wrinkle. I leave my own year round & it lasts several years. 

http://www.acehardware.com/product/...+film&origkw=window+film&searchId=54674831313


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

Esteban29304 said:


> Here is the plastic window kit. I think it is an amazing product . It is not hard to install & DOES make a difference if your windows are drafty. A hair dryer pulls out all the wrinkle. I leave my own year round & it lasts several years.
> 
> http://www.acehardware.com/product/...+film&origkw=window+film&searchId=54674831313


The reviews on the kits were almost all positive, and some reviewers shared tips. Looks like a good insulator.


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