OT: Are you changing with the rising energy costs?

[Chefmom]

Well, I have to say I'm always the one to turn off the lights, etc, maybe it's because I see the bills each month and know what is being paid, but....

I'm thinking more and more how to save more. Gas prices have me shopping more infrequently, and when I do have running to do, I save it for when I'm out picking up my daughter from school, or doing other things. I travel down to CostCo less, betweeen the long trip and the constant traffic/construction I really put off going.

Hot water, we have a boiler system instead of a hot water tank that uses the heating fuel. So far we have averaged only two tanks per year, this winter was tough, and we needed a fill up 1 month sooner than last year. There is a big difference between paying in full (under $200) and having to pay on credit and adding ANOTHER bill to the monthly till.

And then there is the propane. When I first moved in and checked prices, they averaged out to be under $10 a month for my stove and oven. Instead of the $30 top-off, it's now almost $100 for the same fuel. I now use my toaster oven MUCH more for small things, and I bake back to back instead of a little here and there.

As things get higher and higher, I'm still doing the coupon thing, buying things ONLY on sale, etc. I even turn off the computer now, since I only use it at certain times of the day. Hubbie goes on and on about how little a computer uses, but hey, a little counts.

As summer comes, I'll be thinking about how to cut back on water too. I usually re-cycle the kids bath water (not too dirty) and water the garden with it, but it's a pain. <<Deep - sigh>>

Oh well, things could always get worse!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

How is everyone else doing? Are you living your life any different?

Tami

oh, hubbie needs a new work vehicle, we were truck shopping, but now we are little car shopping. He drives SO many miles and the way gas prices are, a truck is a little too wasteful. Is anyone thinking about dumping that SUV?

[Vanessa]

An interesting post. With prices climbing at the gas station literary each day one is more aware of conservation. When we moved here the electric co sent us a time of use savings period magnets. Its divided in summer (june-sept) & Winter (Oct-May) in high savings, mid and low. Weekends and holidays are high savings. Basically you try to strive between high and med savings. Like doing laundry lets say between 9pm and 7am or 11-5pm. A lot of people don't use it but it has helped keep our electric bills reasonable. OUr house is all electric. I was reading in the summer increasing your A/c thermostat will give you a good % of savings. I think big companies and malls should start diminishing the vast amount of lights they have on etc. Theres a LOT of waste all over USA. Near home we see companie buildings light up nobody working. Citizens in greneral seem to be more concious nowdays. More people are riding metro and trains too with gas prices climbing but commuting is insane here and many cannot rely on effective transportation because of their line of work. Also in suburbs transportation is terrible. Slowly they are implanting better bus systems etc.
Personally I am trying like you to turn off lights, tv, music, computer if not in use, every little bit helps. Thankfully our weather is cooler so people have their windows open (no a/c needed today).

[Mbart]

Funny you should post this, because the local news last night announced that we should all gas up now since gas in Milwaukee, WI will be over $2.00/gallon by the end of the week, and perhaps as high as $3/gallon before summers end. Ouch! So, just this morning I got the ol' Burley down from the garage and pumped up the bike tires on my mountain bike. My preschooler and I will be biking to the grocery store this afternoon! I hope to make this the start of a new trend...bike more, drive less! I'm actually really looking forward to this excursion...it's a beautiful sunny day, and a brand new high-end grocery store just opened less than a mile from my house. I won't be doing the big shopping trips there, but can't wait to check it out!

Ah, how my life has changed...it used to be that I'd get excited about a new Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, or Gap in our area, but now it's the thrill of a grocery store! Oh well, if it makes me happy, so be it! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[sneezles]

We do try to watch the lights and water waste. In the "winter" months (I am in southeast Texas so there really isn't much winter) I keep the thermostat at 65º during the day and turn it off at night. We use propane for heat and cooking. My SIL keeps hers set at 75º but doesn't cook much. I cook all the time and our propane usage is the same!
I have to say though during the summer (basically April-November) I do use the a/c (set on 74º) and ceiling fans in every room. I cannot stand to be hot! And living on a dirt road the dust level in here would be suffocating!
Gasoline is up to $1.65 which is the highest ever! But we have learned to consolidate trips to town because of time more than cost!

[mandarin2j]

We've always been really good about shutting lights off when not in use, etc. We did buy a bunch of compact fluorescent bulbs after our utility gave us one freebie and we learned that they aren't half bad. We use the fluorescent bulbs in every lamp that sees a lot of use (i.e. living room fixtures). We only ever ran the dishwasher once a week, so that hasn't changed. I do try to put in laundry loads and try to run the dishwasher at off-peak times. There's no financial incentive to do so, but I think it's the right thing to do.

We only have one car, and it's a very fuel-efficient Honda. DH is seriously anal-retentive about checking tire level, oil, etc., so it's as efficient as a 15-year-old car can be. I bus it to and from work, and DH carpools to his job an hour and a half away. We've cut down on trips to the store, but that's more to do with improved menu planning than anything else. Plus, we live in the city, so the grocery store and our local Trader Joe's are in walking distance. When we only need one or two items, that's very handy!

We buy local produce at our weekly neighborhood Farmer's Market when it's open (only one month to go!), which saves on transport costs. Of course, that's not why we buy local produce. We do that because it tastes better! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif Still, buying any local product saves fuel that might otherwise be used to ship stuff across the country.

We've been pretty lucky to have a very mild winter here, so the heater hasn't been on as much as usual. But, we're new homeowners (1 year last month), and there's a lot of stuff we didn't know about the care and maintenance of a home. For instance, we didn't know about replacing the filter in the furnace. Doh! When we figured that one out, the heating vents started kicking out more warm air. The furnace wasn't working any harder, but it was working better. Also, no one had had the system vacuumed out for several years, so the furnace wasn't operating nearly as efficiently as it could have. We dealt with that just a couple of weeks ago.

Our house was built in 1920, so it's not exactly energy efficient. We're debating what'll give us more bang for our buck on increasing efficiency-storm windows, or blowing insulation into the walls. One of the two will happen this summer, though. I've heard of some low-interest loans aimed at increasing energy efficiency, and if we can get one of those, we'll probably do both. Increasing energy savings is a higher priority for us than remodeling our hideous kitchen (Imagine: fake wood paneling a'la the '70's! In the kitchen! Blech!), so I guess we've got our needs/wants list straight.

-Amanda

[Jewel]

I married a Tree-Hugger. He's a recycle person, but it's not to the extreme. My ex-boyfriend made me turn off the circuit breakers to the hot water heater once the 40 gallons was heated and turn the breaker back on when it was empty. I'm not lying. According to him, that water would stay hot for a few days with the insulation blanket on the water heater, so using energy to keep hot water hot was wasteful! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif This guy also asked me to cook by stove light, not turn on the overheads. Needless to say, that relationship flew the coop when I found him sitting on the bathroom 'throne' rummaging around in the wastebasket looking for used Kleenex that I had used for my makeup...to use on himself, if you get my drift!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif I was so out-of-there!

My husband and I see more eye-to-eye on these matters. We replaced 90% of our light bulbs with 'Lights of America' twistie flourescents and installed 3-way switches on nearly every touch lamp in the house. You almost never need anything above level 1! We each take what my Dad calls 'Navy Showers', where you have the water on to wet and rinse but turn it off to lather and shampoo. We've always done this! I think we save major amounts of water this way. We installed Water Saver toilets that use 1.5 gallons per flush instead of 5 gallons also. We installed ceiling fans in our bedroom, kitchen and living room, and they help keep air circulating.

As for the cars, we each commute about 25-30 miles round trip. I drive a 4-banger Saturn ('cause I'm cool...) and he drives a mid-size pickup. He uses his truck only for work commuting or if we're hauling. Any road trips around town or long trips we use my Saturn! It's a little smaller for my 6'1" Hunk-O-Hubby, but we figure it's a fair tradeoff.

We water our lawns in the late evening, about 15 minutes in the front and 15 in the back every day or every other day. At least here in Seattle we get free lawn watering most of the time! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif We try to do laundry after dinner, and I've actually started air-drying clothes whenever possible, especially if its nice outside. I'm not stringing a clothesline from the deck or anything, but I'll put his heavy 501 work jeans on hangers and hang them from hooks on the eaves out back on a nice day! Dryers have to work so hard to dry 501's!

I think we're doing our part! We have electric appliances and gas heat, and our average combined monthly bill in the winter is $80 per month and about $60 in the summer. At least my husband isn't turning off the stove circuit breaker when we're not using it "because it still sucks killowats even when it isn't being used. That clock uses juice!" Sheesh...how did I last a year with that guy?? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[SandyM]

omigosh Jewel, I'm imagining myself freezing in the shower, even in mid-summer, without the warm water running on me, while I lather - that would SO not work for me!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

I just traded in my 24v 6 cylinder Taurus for a 4 cylinder Focus - gets nearly twice the mileage. This gas thing is killing me on my 40 mile one way commute.

We finished our basement, even though we have central air, and the temperature difference between upstairs and downstairs in the dead of a Michigan summer has to be at least 15 degrees.

[emilycat]

Wow, I feel like such a delinquent -- I'm really big on recycling materials (the things I can't recycle here, because Atlanta sucks about making it convenient, I take home to my parents to recycle -- tin cans and all my paperboard products), but pretty bad about gas and water.
It's not exactly possible to get very many places around here quickly without a car (unless you're downtown, which I'm not) -- very pedestrian un-friendly. I sometimes take MARTA downtown, but not to work, because it doesn't provide service there, so I have to fill up my car once a week, and I get pretty good gas mileage.

I do keep my thermostat on 78, though, since I'm always cold anyway. Sometimes I knock it up to 80, so my electric bill is pretty low. Thankfully it doesn't get dreadfully cold down here http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

As for water, okay, this is kind of gross, but my mom and my sister do this too, and I started to follow suit -- (I can't believe I'm going to admit to this) we pee at least a couple times before we flush the toilet. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif
I feel like it makes up for how often I have to run the dishwasher http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

Emily

[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 05-08-2001).]

[crlykat]

Wow Jewel, you are so good!
I'm in southern California, and all the cities around us yesterday lost power for about an hour. Luckily, our condo complex is on the same grid as the fire station, about half-mile away at the most, so we have never had a blackout.
Even so, I am fanatical about the lights being off if there's no need for them to be on. We open the windows for a breeze and try not to run the air conditioner. In the winter we just piled extra sweaters on instead of turning on the heater. We unplug all the little things we arent currently using such as the toaster oven and coffeemaker.

DH and I used to carpool together since we worked near each other, but now I work from home so I'm cutting down on fuel there too. I usually only leave the house during the week to see clients (not too often) and go to the gym nearby.
I can't believe the gas prices lately. My little civic is great with gas, but DH's "baby" is a twin turbo rx7 that gets between 10-14 mpg, depending. We are really feeling the pain filling up that one. Since its more of a performance car, he fills it with premium! Ack!

[Jewel]

Crlykat, a suggestion...my DH has a (drum roll) 1979 Anniversary Edition Silver T-Topped TransAm. Remember the silver jobber with the black eagle on the hood? It's in my garage being used as a shelf. Anyway, he used to spend all kinds of money on premium gas until his trusted 'muscle car' mechanic told him that nearly all chain-gas stations (Chevron, Arco, Texaco, Tesoro, Amoco, etc) now have detergent additives in their gasoline which actually improves performance and blows out the pipes. He said regular octane with the 'Techron' (Chevron) is just as good as Premium. He said if you can't stand the idea of 'just regular' gas, then use regular gas and spend $2 per month on an additive like STP Gas Treatment of Gumout. Just a suggestion! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[JHolcomb]

Oh my gosh, we do that too, Emily. Not to save water, exactly, but because our toilet has a leak and we keep it turned off unless we need to flush it. I KNOW we need to get it fixed...Anyway, my car is efficiant (a 1999 Corolla), but I'm going to be commuting 2 hours one way to take a 3 week class this summer-I feel so evil and wasteful (and worried about the expense), but I really want to get back into school. DH's car is a gas--eating beast of a 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. But he only drives it to school (10 mi round trip). My car is for trips.
Our apartment is in an old house which is not well insulated. I don't even want to discuss the energy wasted. We only have a window unit, though, so we can only cool one room, the living room, and we keep every thing else shut off. I guess we're not the best at conserving, but not the very worst, either. At least we've got that no flushing thing going. I had a teacher in high school who did that in addition to having a brick in her tank. Anyway...

[lorilei]

Oh, my! Need I admit all of my bad habits? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[crlykat]

Thanks for thinking of me, Jewel.
He has heard that before from my dad many times. However, DH swears that the lower octane fuel causes premature combustion, and it therefore will ruin his seals. Something like that. Because it is a super-special rotary engine. Not like us commoners with pistons under the hood. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I'm stuck with premium gas bills.

[Anne]

Great topic with the energy costs rising. We recently built a house and were able to take advantage of modern technology in energy efficiency that works very well for us. We have a super-efficient fridge that uses about 15% of the power of a normal fridge. Our washing machine uses about 45% of the water and 25% of the energy of standard machines (also uses about 10% of the soap and does a very large load). Although energy efficient appliances are real budget-crushers when purchased they pay for themselves pretty quickly in energy and maintanence savings. We figured that one compact flourescent bulb in a reading light in our living room saved $40 per 10 years in terms of life of bulb and energy savings (our electricity is very cheap). We never drive to work and usually walk. Biking is a great option in many areas of the country and has great health benefits. Although not directly related to energy cost savings we are fortunate in having enough land to garden. We grow as much of our own produce as possible: 1) I love to garden 2)I love organically grown foods and they are very expensive here 3)I love really really fresh produce/or fresh frozen 4)why buy something shipped from hundreds/thousands of miles away when you can grow it in your backyard.
Remember, every little bit helps and makes a difference. Recycling aluminum or taking the bus/walking to work one day a week, or not buying that plastic wrapped plastic giggamagadget that your 3-year old 'just has to have' is a step in the right direction. Cheers to all the small steps toward sustainability.

[luv2cook]

hmm. interesting. I was always taught to turn off lights. Since prices have gone up, I've tried to think of ways to do things, but I already don't make wasted trips, plan my route, don't flush every time.

I cook every day so the DW gets run about 3x a week. I try my loads of laundry consecutively so that the dryer doesn't have to heat up again and again.

We have a 2001 gas sucking SUV now but that's because the benefits for it for us far outweighed the cost of gas.

I never thought about turning the water off when lathering. Interesting idea. Keep the air at about 78 during the day and 75 when we're home.

I refuse to take my life in my hands by biking in Houston so that's not an option for me. I look forward to other money saving tips, tho...

[BosunsWife]

I'm with you luv2cook - we also bought a 2001 Explorer. For us the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Its our family car that I use during the day (and I don't drive everyday) and DH has a older model Chevy truck that he uses to drive back and forth to work (about 7 miles each way). Since he is on a ship and not home all the time it may only get driven about a total of 10 days out of the month. I guess you could say we are moderately conservative with our vehicles.

We are fortunate enough (of course that depends on how you look at it LOL) to live in military housing. We aren't responsible for our electric costs. But, we have never taken advantage of it either. I was always taught to turn out a light if it wasn't being used. Wear a sweatshirt instead of turning up the heat. Air conditioning was never an issue growing up in Western Washington, but we have never abused it in housing either. One thing that I will say is that I do have our ceiling fans in our bedrooms and the living room going 24/7. Sorry, I live in Hawaii and I have to have some comfort.

I do use the dryer for our clothes simply because most days its too humid here to get anything to dry on a hanger or on a drying rack. Also because hanging anything outside is pretty much out because when the wind blows so does the red dirt. Not too good on clean clothes.

[kwormann]

Our worst problem is we are both so hot blooded we keep the air at about 70-72 ...especially when sleeping! Also, DH's job requires him to drive around all day seeing stores, so his job demands he use up the liquid gold, and the company, although giving a car allowance, does NOT pay fpr the gas!

Kim

[daner94]

I just took the train into work for the 1st time. I was concerned it would add so much more time to my commute, but it was only 15 minutes more. If I can swing it twice a week I figure it will save me about $11 a week for gas, tolls, and mileage.

Gas costs less here in Atlanta than anywhere else but I still don't want to pay over $20 a week to fill up my car-- an Altima.

[makedah]

I don't pay gas or electric (I live in University Housing), but they have jacked up the rent for next year and increased the cost of laundry!!!!!! My main concern is gas. I drive a Ford Escort, but it is almost 8 years old and the gas mileage isn't that good anymore. On the good side, I take the bus to school/work everyday. So, I have given up my trips to the far away but cheap grocery store, and make do with the stores near my house --- and COUPONS.

[tperes]

I was always raised to turn off lights, etc when not in use. I work at home every day, all day,on the computer, and my energy costs are the same (maybe even a bit less) than when I worked away from home.
I bike to campus, and now the grocery store and other in-town errands. I am in to that whole plan your route thing. Lucky for me, Gainesville is a bike-friendly town.
Also, I buy only locally grown veggies, mostly b/c they taste better and are cheaper, but it also good in so many other ways.

Even though I live in FL, I try not to run the a/c often. It is almost out of my budget. I found an apt. that is very shaded by great oak trees, which has really helped!

[KathrynY]

Jewel - LOL about your ex who "recycled" tissues! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif

I dry my laundry outside on a clothesline whenever possible, and in the winter I use those fold-up wooden racks that I set up in my basement to save $$ running the dryer. I think it makes the clothes wear longer, and fresh air makes your laundry smell wonderful! The only exceptions are towels (they get stiff as a board) and underwear (I know everyone wears it, but I don't want my neighbors looking at mine!).

We are a 2-Toyota family, and have been very pleased with the gas mileage we get even with 20-30 mile commutes one way each day for both of us. If gas really gets up to $3 per gallon this summer I will probably start taking the bus to work, even though it's inconvenient.

We recycle anything that our town dump will take, since we haul all of it to the dump anyway it's no big deal to put the recyclables in separate containers. I would love to start composting, just need to get inspired.

A/C is not a concern, since we don't have it! We finished our basement last year, and it's nice and cool down there in the summer. Heating costs here in the northeast have prompted us to keep the thermostats set on 64 degrees all winter. We have electric baseboard heat and keep the heat off and doors closed to the rooms we don't use very often. If I get cold, I put on another sweater or grab a quilt!

It absolutely stunned me when we moved here from the midwest that the rates for individual units of energy can vary so much from one region of the country to another. I could use the same number of kilowatt hours of electricity but my bill would be 3 times higher here! It really does make us think seriously about energy conservation. It's nice to hear some of your ideas.

[mandarin2j]

This is in no way meant to be political, so please don't take it that way. Tonight, there will be voluntary rolling blackouts across the country. Called "Roll Your Own Blackout" by the folks who originated the idea, the voluntary blackouts will occur from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in every time zone across the country (the U.S., that is, Canadian friends!). The idea is to show that conservation can make a difference, and that we can live without power for at least a short while. Now, I know this isn't totally realistic in parts of the country where turning the A/C off is not an option. We don't have extreme summers where we live, and that makes it pretty easy for us to participate. But…so many of us are grilling a lot anyway, so wouldn't an evening by the grill playing cribbage by tiki torch with the fam be nice? There's a web site to check out if you want to participate & share what you'll be doing with the lights off tonight (keep it clean, though! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif ) It's at www.moveon.org (http://www.moveon.org)

Again, please don't take this as a political statement. Rising energy costs don't care what your party affiliation is! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

-Amanda

[KathrynY]

Just happened across this recent article on the Money magazine web site that rates cars by gas mileage and found it interesting: http://www.money.com/money/depts/autos/onwheels/archive/010530.html

[Leanne]

[This message has been edited by Leanne (edited 06-27-2001).]

[Leanne]

OK - somehow I goofed that - I just meant to update my message:

Emily - where do you live in Atlanta? I'm near the Roswell/Piedmont intersection. Our recycling picks up tin cans, aluminum & aluminum cans, glass, & plastic, & there's a place around the corner for paper. I'm surprised yours doesn't.

Also - we have sidewalks - granted they are fairly new (2 or 3 years old), but I can get to all sorts of places without a car. (Truthfully, I don't do it often - but on nice summer/spring days I will. It's mostly a time factor - why take 5 or 7 minutes to get there if I can do it in 1 or 2 when I'm in a hurry? & laziness too - it's hard to carry back big bags of stuff. Movie Rentals & Restaurants are easy to walk to though.) I can't walk to work, but I'm only about 6 or 7 miles away. But I guess you are right - I purposely bought a house that was convenient to everything I need. We've been looking at new houses recently & the established neighborhoods in Buckhead are not nearly as convenient, unless you live on Peachtree Battle of course. I have no idea about places OTP - I guessed that all of the new developments up there would be made convenient. My brother lives south of the city in Candler park & I know he walks alot of places too.

To answer the question at hand - haven't changed my habits at all, but I've always been a little concious - keep the lights off, the air set at 72, etc. The watering ban here keeps water usage in line. I will say that the watering ban has made me more concious about running the water when I brush my teeth, etc.


[This message has been edited by Leanne (edited 06-27-2001).]

[Beth]

Ok, you've all read that energy use was one of my rationalizations for spending more on a washer and dryer pair than the average replacement (half the water and about 1/3 the energy). Every appliance, large or small, we've bought recently has been an energy reduction and an increase in performance.

DH's commute most days is only 5 miles, so we're fortunate on that. We have considered looking at one of those hybrid cars that gets 50-60 mpg when its time to replace a car if they have enough head and leg room. I try to combine trips as much as I can, and get DH to run over to Target or the mall at lunch or on his way home to avoid extra trips.

For our house, we're planning on one thing no one has mentioned yet: we're planning on putting in more insulation in the attic and painting our garage (attached), the attic and the upstairs ceilings with the rediant barrier paint. We keep ceiling fans on low most of the time, but my AC is usually at 78-80, up to 85 if we are away for a long period. In the winter, we keep it at 68-70. Getting two young boys to turn off lights and keep doors closed is still a challenge sometimes.

Further into the future, we have talked about adding solar panels and might look into the no-tank water heating systems when the current heaters go.

Now, if we hooked up a treadmill and a recumbent bike to a generator for the TV, etc...maybe we could get a dual purpose thing going! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif


[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 06-27-2001).]

[Lynn B]

Yeah... I just bought a FREEZER!!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif !!!!

Lynn

[Grace]

Yippee, Lynn!! Let's hear about it!!

[joyous]

I keep the A/C set fairly warm in the summer--I'm perfectly comfy at 80. My apartment faces south, so I rarely have to run the heat in the winter. In fact, it gets a little stuffy, and I have to open the windows just a crack from time to time.

As for vehicles, I won't even consider one that gets under 30 mpg. I love my Saturn, especially since it's 30 miles between home and work. I just got a bike, and it pains me that it is so bike/pedestrian unfriendly around here. I'd love to use it to run errands, but I'm simply not confident enough to put it out on the streets.