Electric update.

We just got Novembers electric bill. Another pretty good one. about 750 kilowatts. That seems to be about our average now that I have greened our house. I am running out of ideas for ways to cut usage. Yesterday I used my Christmas money from Gramps and Grandma to buy another 5 pack of CFL's. Compact Flourescent Lights. I love puting in the new lights. Lisa always bitches because the incandescents are not burned out yet. I think I have the whole inside of the house done now. Just the garage and the outside ones left to do. I think one more 5 pack will do it. If the $ #'s on the box are correct then each bulb should save about a dollar a month on the electric bill. That's another 5 dollars a month I just saved by paying about 16 bucks for the five pack. That is only a 3 month pay back on the investment moneywise, not even counting the carbon reduction.

On a side note. I think that the manufacturers are blowing it by saying that the 60 watt equivalent bulb are just as bright. I don't think they are. I would advise getting the 100 watt equivalent CFL's. They are very bright and do just fine. I think that they are listed as 23 watts. It is hard to believe that the old incandescent bulbs use 95% of the energy making heat. Only 5% goes to the light. What a waste.

Go buy some CFL's for Xmas presents. Its easy and its something everyone can use. The energy savings with keep giving every time the monthly electric bill comes.

Water usage update.

We got our second water bill after the new washing machine. WOW. 4200 gallon. last month was 3800. Our previous low for the last 3 years or so was 5000. The high was like 9800 gallon over the summer months. Ever since I read "Going Green With Ed" by Ed Bagley Jr (formerly of some doctor show in the 80's St Elseware was it?) I have really started watching the water usage. He got me going with the water barrels so I don't have to water outside anymore. I just hook up a sprinkler hose to the barrel to water the plants and rasberry patch. Everytime it rains I get 50 gallons of free clean water for my plants. This save a ton of water with all the rain we get in spring and most of the summer.

Something else Ed taught me was about showering. My Dad laughed when I told him this one. In the military you are given a ration of water every day. So for showers you turn on the water, get wet, turn off the water, soap up, wash your hair, turn on the water and rinse off quick. Ed calls this a military shower. Now I have not gone this far but I really cut down on the showers. I get in, do my thing and get out. Any more is wasting water.

Another good thing to try for a couple of weeks is to put the drain down before you turn on the water. When you are done showering bucket it out into a five gallon pail and dump it down the toilet till the tub is empty. This is a handy way to see how much water you use. I can get a good shower in about 3 gallons of water. This is about 2 minutes. If you dawdlle around wasting water for 15 minutes.... you get the idea. You will be bailing water down the toilet all morning. This is all clean water. Better than most counrties have for drinking water and we waste it every day. Think before you take that next 15 minute shower.