Often Overlooked Reasons for High Electric Bills

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Күн бұрын

Electric costs have risen by 20% and are continuing to climb in 2022. You may already using energy-saving strategies. Yet, there are several often overlooked reasons for high electric bills.
In this video we'll explore why your electric bills may be so high - and the reasons may surprise you. Larry and I grab our Kill-a-Watt meter and test our electronics and appliances to see if they are sucking energy - even when they appear to be turned off.
Phantom or Vampire power happens when an item has "stand-by" function, meaning that unless it is unplugged, it may be adding unnecessary expenses to your energy bills. Find out what you need to do to defeat the foe of vampire power and lower your energy consumption by as much as twenty percent. If you're ready to lower your high electric bills, you're in the right place.
00:00 - Introduction
04:30 - Replace Old Appliances
07:17 - Keep Appliances Full
13:00 - Use Lower Energy Rate Hours
14:40 - Don't Charge Electronics Overnight
16:25 - Reducing Vampire Power
24:00 - The Formula for Determining Vampire Energy Usage
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Пікірлер: 633

@elizabethbednarcik3311 2 жыл бұрын

A friend told me just today that his old friend back in the Rocky Mountains didn’t get electricity until 1985 because he didn’t want to pay the $400 to connect. Once he got electricity my friend asked how he liked it. His response, “it’s amazing, I walk in the house, pull a string and I can see to light my lantern.”

@RN-mn3jn 2 жыл бұрын

Hahahaha 🤣

@CherylMacKay11f 2 жыл бұрын

Lololol!!!

@lexbeltran1354 2 жыл бұрын

He could of used batteries, lol😄

@deborahcaldwell9775 2 жыл бұрын

ha ha

@helenapereira8547 2 жыл бұрын

Funny 🤣

@sandyseibelhager7131 2 жыл бұрын

Old appliances may use more energy but if old enough, they are more dependable. Newer appliances seem to break down more often and will cost you more in repairs. This has been my experience.

@sheila3936 2 жыл бұрын

Definitely something to keep in mind as manufacturers build in planned obsolescence. I try to find bare bones appliances. The more features and buttons and electronic components the more that can break.

@DonnaCookAuthor 2 жыл бұрын

So much this. A friend of mine just had to replace a $3600 refrigerator that she bought 3 years ago. That's $1200 a year. We're hanging on to our old refrigerators and Maytag washer and dryer for as long as we can keep them running. I dread the day we have to buy the expensive junk they're selling these days.

@nowandthennn 2 жыл бұрын

I bought all new appliances 4 years ago and a year ago they all started breaking down . I wished I had kept my older microwave & the washer & dryer . My refrigerator is already making a noise and one of the burners on the cooking stove doesn’t work right . What a ripoff.

@BrownEyedGirl331 2 жыл бұрын

IF you can find anyone to repair them-lol, my parents had appliances for decades and they worked, I buy something and it goes out in 2-3 years and no one will repair them.

@ddawe31635 2 жыл бұрын

My experience as well!

@gregs250 2 жыл бұрын

Here’s another way to address your tip for charging things overnight. I have things that I need to charge every night, but I plug them into a timer with a power strip that begins charging a few hours before I get up. I do that with my phone, watch, iPad and laptop.

@UndertheMedian 2 жыл бұрын

Great idea!

@Janice_1979_ 2 жыл бұрын

Since I have been washing my clothes in cold water I have been saving 12$ a month, I love your info. Thanks so much.

@patwagner9308 2 жыл бұрын

Hi .....We have been married 52 yrs. as of late this month. We have had a dishwasher a total of 17 yrs. , divided among 5 out of 10 places we've lived. We installed one where we've been living (since 1994) in Jan. of 2017. I have never minded washing dishes by hand for my entire life....but I have scoliosis which gets worse over time. It got to a point where it was too painful to stand & wash dishes daily & Ron wasn't interested in the task. LOL HERE'S the THING: dishwashers have been greatly improved as well as other appliances. They are WAY more efficient than a ways back. When we got our dishwasher (from scratch 'n' dent aisle at Lowe's , btw), an elderly friend (who has a 30 yr. old dishwasher) warned me that we were going to notice our water bill go up. I tried to explain to her that old dishwashers used 16 gal. of water per load but NEW dishwashers use about 4. We did NOT notice any hike in our water bill. And also, the dishwasher cleans some things WAY better than I ever could by hand. I'm glad we got it & my back is VERY glad we got it.

@joe3276865536 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely true. Not only are new dishwasher more efficient than old ones, they are much more efficient than hand washing. It isn't even close. You aren't saving anything by hand washing. Certainly not water. And do you think you are saving electricity? Well, you are using more electricity or natural gas heating more water washing by hand. Pure foolishness.

@patwagner9308 2 жыл бұрын

@@joe3276865536 I appreciate you agreeing w/me....w/all due respect, tho, I must point out that how much water is used for hand washing dishes depends on how you do it. I used to waste a lot of water washing dishes. But now, for the pieces that have to be hand-washed, I would estimate I use no more than 2 gallons of water. I switched to bar dish soap. I wet my dishcloth, rub it over the dishwashing bar soap, then wash what needs washed....no water in the sink, none running. After everything is soaped up, I quickly give each piece a rinse. I don't have a lot of pieces needing hand-washed....so it's a very quick process, using very little water. I am so glad we have a modern dishwasher. It's efficient, it cleans some things WAY better than Iwas ever able & it saves my aching back. Thanks,Joe H.

@PriscillaPretzley 2 жыл бұрын

I've been binge-watching you guys ever since I discovered you about a week ago! I have followed most of these tips, other than the phones at night like most people LOL. Husband and I have made significant changes in our energy usage over the past week following your tips, and Prepper Princess on KZfaq. Our usual daily usage would normally be $6-$7, but now it's averaging out to $3 a day!! HOLY COW! I've turned down the water heater slightly to about 110-115°, turned down the fridge/freezer from the "highest" setting, the the second-to-lowest setting, and don't turn on a single light during the day. Never knew we were using THAT much power 🤯 and MONEY 🤑

@UndertheMedian 2 жыл бұрын

We're so happy for you! Great job.

@jamesmooney8933 2 жыл бұрын

Think of how low your electric bill will be if you ELECT TRUMP

@chefcurry787 2 жыл бұрын

Me too, I'm hooked 😅🙌🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼💯

@evaundeva7318 2 жыл бұрын

We have a consistent habit in our house: last one going to bed ist turning off the router / modem (plug out of the wall outlet), first to get up or need the internet plugs it back in. Same with leaving the house - when no one is home we don't need to use energy to run wifi. Love from Germany!

@pm2886 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent. It's incredible how many things people just leave in standby mode - or worse, actually running :o

@anna-lenameijer9942 2 жыл бұрын

You save the electrical units (resistances) in the mashines when running them off.

@broganhogan3469 2 жыл бұрын

Security-wise this is good too… if someone was to figure out your wifi password, they wouldn’t be able to use it when it’s off

@1st_Atom 2 жыл бұрын

i dont know what kind of modem or router you are using but i have a modem, router and a switch all combined its like $5 a month if that to leave on 24/7. it simply is not worth my time to unplug them and plug them back in and wait teh 5 mins for everything to boot. i can afford the.23 cents a day it cost to leave them plugged in and ready to use and never have to worry about it.

@acardenasjr1340 2 жыл бұрын

@@1st_Atom Agreed. I think somethings like that can obviously be left on to operate.

@grannyprepper1181 2 жыл бұрын

When I lived in San Diego they had “peek, off peek and off off peek “ hours. Off off peek was midnight to 6 AM. I would load the dishwasher and set a crockpot in the evening, get up at 2 AM to start them. PLUS turn the dishwasher drying cycle off. I got up at 5 AM, open the dishwasher and air dry the dishes. Put your electronic on power strips and turn them when you go to bed. AND unplug any small appliances NOT in use.

@lydiabudgetsmore622 2 жыл бұрын

My energy bill was through the roof!! My house was built in 1978 and had the original HVAC system. It did have repairs through out the years but I was averaging close to $300 a month in the summer. I was able to do a cash out with my Home Warranty Co and that helped me to replace the whole HVAC system in 2020. I replaced at the end of summer and in the first year I had a 65% savings for the first year. I got $3700 cash out and paid $2000 out of pocket for a new system. Its worth it to replace your HVAC if its 30+ years old

@BrianW211 2 жыл бұрын

I did the vampire power exercise a few years ago. Here are some items that draw vampire power you didn't mention: kitchen stove, dishwasher, clothes washer, clothes dryer. Additionally, what I found was that after excluding all of the consumer electronics (TV, stereo, computer, WiFi router, etc.) the biggest energy vampires were hardwired and they included smoke detectors, HVAC system, irrigation controller, and doorbell. Also, just leaving your phone/device chargers plugged in all the time is much worse than actually charging your devices overnight.

@UndertheMedian 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. The items you found that were using electricity are really interesting. You're absolutely right that keeping electronics plugged in all the time is really hard on them - especially computers.

@reneeelmahmoudi3594 2 жыл бұрын

I borrowed the kill-a-watt meter from my local library so it’s worth a phone call before buying one. They also have a Roku stick to borrow to try if you are thinking of buying one.

@pm2886 2 жыл бұрын

Easy. One small fridge, no air-conditioning, no clothes dryer, and never ever leave anything switched on in standby mode when not in use. Turn everything off as soon as you finish using it (in many countries - including my own - there are on/off switches on outlets). Only one light or lamp on per room, and only when that room is in use. At night when sleeping, literally NOTHING should be connected to the power or switched on except the fridge. In winter, heat only the living room. As for laundry, a full load cold water wash is a no-brainer .. as is outdoor drying on a line.

@fredswartley9778 2 жыл бұрын

I started the habit of unplugging my appliances when they are not in use. Now I just do it automatically. I do like the idea of charging your phone in the evening so you don't have to charge it overnight. I hadn't thought of that before.

@fredswartley9778 2 жыл бұрын

@@faith4754 what is a solar charger and where can I get one?

@jennahansen8559 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Hope and Larry. I followed your tips to save on energy and my electric and natural gas bill went down substantially! Over $50 savings!

@UndertheMedian 2 жыл бұрын

That's wonderful!

@clasevaniperen6588 2 жыл бұрын

The problem with the current appliances is that they are not made to last longer than 5-10 years, way shorter than the older ones😔

@jamesmooney8933 2 жыл бұрын

That is because they are made in China.

@broodieivie207 2 жыл бұрын

this is because of the crappy electronics in them. the lights and bells etc.

@jamesmooney8933 2 жыл бұрын

@@broodieivie207 You are right. But there is another factor which seems unconnected, Banks GM made most of its money through car loans. Most refrigerator, microwave, stove, and etc. are paid for by credit cars Plus most of our manufacturers are from China Toyota is one company that builds good cars.

@maryjojouwstra3860 2 жыл бұрын

For us in South Dakota, our Home gas usage has tripled in price since last November. It is chocking me. When the gas company tells you to use your electric space heaters to augment your house heating, you know it’s bad.

@scottdelong188 2 жыл бұрын

Hope and Larry, our supply rate went up 89% last month, but thanks to the tips we implemented after watching some other videos on your channel, January's usage was our lowest yet - 10% lower than our previous lowest month last year. Thanks for your help!! (FYI I estimated what I would save if we transferred over to the power company's off-peak service plan - about $14/month. Guess what their additional monthly service fee is for that plan: $14. Go figure!)

@paulaoyedele2081 2 жыл бұрын

Digital meters

@jamesmooney8933 2 жыл бұрын

You live a complicated life. Lower electric bill by VOTING FOR TRUMP.

@helenedavis2886 2 жыл бұрын

Follow the money!

@cindyg159 2 жыл бұрын

As a property manager I've learned that a faulty thermostat can often times give you a high electric bill.

@berlygirl123 2 жыл бұрын

My husband purchased a de-humidifier for our house. During the hot summer months this helped lower our electric bill quite a bit. I'm the one that likes to crank the air conditioner and we were worried about our utility bills with both of us working from home. We set the thermostat to 80 degrees and it was actually comfortable when running the de-humidifier.

@CrazythingArt 2 жыл бұрын

In the upcoming days ahead, every nickel saved will help! Thank you for the video and the great ideas!

@rayf6126 2 жыл бұрын

I scaled down my oven to an air oven, a small microwave, a crockpot. It's smaller than my now dead oven and takes less time to heat up and cook things. I have no electric cook tools. That saved me $20 a month.

@laurenyost1526 2 жыл бұрын

We inherited an old fridge in the basement of our home when we bought it that we used to store milk and eggs that I bought in bulk. After a year of using it we finally calculated that it was costing us at least $15 per month to have that fridge 😬 I quickly found a way to fit my bulk milk and eggs into our regular fridge upstairs (that's only a few years old). Now we've cut the cost of the old fridge completely and our upstairs fridge is much fuller, making it more efficient as well :)

@bigdavexx1 2 жыл бұрын

I feel like that often also applies to the separate freezer. For a person who has easy access to a grocery store, I don't think it makes sense to use that upfront cost, space and energy to capture food savings.

@laurenyost1526 2 жыл бұрын

@@bigdavexx1 I think that depends on your situation and your shopping habits. We live 25 minutes from town, so we have a deep freezer that we have loved. But we also garden and use it to store a lot of our produce. When I can get things on sale or discounted with coupons and rebates, I love having space to stock up. To me it makes a lot of sense to have a deep freezer.

@Michelle-bw1xg 2 жыл бұрын

Over 28 cents/kw for electric in California, so every tip helps. I use neck warmer, blankets in the living room to run heater less to save energy and batch cook meals for multiple days. My splurges are hot water temp left higher and TV usage. Signing up with utility co. monitoring of usage for 1 yr. has helped; phantom load reduced. For me, flat rate usage is best as I use energy most during peak hours; if I worked from home could do chores during breaks, might pick time of use.

@Michelle-bw1xg 2 жыл бұрын

@@faith4754 Wow you are quite an inspiration on conserving energy. Thanks for taking the time to write and be well. Just got utility bill, down $10 from prior month.

@roxanapadure6218 2 жыл бұрын

Come to Europe, here those days was 0.95 €/c per kWh, not including tax

@thomasdipaolo2349 2 жыл бұрын

Using a kill a watt meter to accurately determine how much energy appliances use. Also unplugging app store items not in use via a power strip. We have a 2006 energy star frig that is still very efficient so would be waste of money to buy a new and possible less reliable frig. Also, the tightwade Gazette books have many helpful ideas

@brg2743 2 жыл бұрын

When purchasing a new frig, a top freezer frig that is energy star is best. Also, research one that runs on lower kwh. The smaller the frig, the less kwh. There are differences in kwh between frigs that are same size even.

@wollaminfaetter 2 жыл бұрын

You guys are great. I'm from Denmark, but some problems are universal.... and energy prices are on the rise all over. I poked around and found my big sweaters, turned down the radiators.... and i'm fine.

@lynnoorman2144 2 жыл бұрын

A brilliant video, thank you. One tip i have not seen mentioned is to crumple up old newspaper, place to a carrier bag, tie the top and place in your fridge or freezer where you have an empty space. This stops the fridge and freezer running to cool the air in that space or running every time you open the door. These can be used time and again as with the top tied the newspaper stays dry. Hope this helps. Loving the blue and white mug Hope!

@FreshandFelicia 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent tips, especially about vampire power. We actually turn the entire kitchen circuit off when we leave - we had our refrigerator wired on a separate circuit. A lot easier than unplugging each appliance. Thanks for helping us save money - and the environment too!

@klharris391 2 жыл бұрын

I bought a new fridge and a new freezer this past year. It now costs $20 less per month on my electric bill. The freezer was 20 years old and the 7 cu ft freezer was over 30. What a difference.

@hyzenthlay7151 2 жыл бұрын

Also, eventhough it can be a little more inconvenient, try to use your chest freezer as your daily freezer rather than upright or draw freezers. When you open the door on an upright freezer, as cold air goes down, it will basically "tumble" out of the door, so when you close it again the compressor has to work more to cool the hot air that the cold air was replaced with. Chest freezers on the other hand keep most of the cold air in even when open because cold air goes down, and the opening is at the top, meaning the compressor has to work much less during the day to maintain the cold interior temperature, even when constantly being opened

@GhostsAndGarbagePailKids 2 жыл бұрын

You guys freakin killed it! Literally all my questions about energy/saving money on the electric bill were answered. Seriously, your explanations are great and spot on. well done.

@olliecooper4232 2 жыл бұрын

Great video again, I love your channel and the money saving tips, they can be applied to any country too. I'm from Torquay UK and energy bills are going up to 2000 a year in April

@LynnSJ 2 жыл бұрын

We have an ancient mobile home that is sub metered. (park gets the huge bill, pays meter readers then generates individual space bill) Our wattage for the 'house' is split, 50% on one side, 50% on the other. Our bills for years just for electric were $3-400.00 in summer months. Through a mixture of techy items and rechargeable lights we have brought our bill down significantly to $100 or less in winter and $100-200 in summer. County has even changed out our meter several times trying to track down where these high bills were coming from. We can unplug, turn off and are getting a kerosene heater but when an old house remains old bones/wiring, insulation there isn't much more to cut. Also energy, gas bills have flat fees, taxes on top of charges much of these were increased for us as well.

@d.a.l.3289 2 жыл бұрын

A tip I read in AARP was to turn off your ice cube maker in your fridge. Apparently, it has to heat the motor that dumps the ice.

@maryjojouwstra3860 2 жыл бұрын

My old frig went out last summer, it was 15 years old. No automatic ice maker, new one is same. I have read that refrigerators last longer without a ice maker. I’m old school, I can add water to my trays my self. 😎

@brandygarden5113 2 жыл бұрын

I live in Illinois too. I'm in the southern part of Illinois. A town called Herrin. Great video. Keep up the great work. I'm loving the nice weather down here. God Bless you both. Brandy ❤️

@EB1878 2 жыл бұрын

My electric bills for January and February this year 2022 were huge! For me it was massive for being in a one bedroom. On average I used to pay around $75 per month for electric. Not anymore. My last two electric bills were $130 each! I know that I wasn't using a lot of electricity. I only allow myself one night for doing laundry, and I do all of my food prep and baking one night every week at night since the rates are cheaper. So, I just chalked up my astronomical utilities to inflation and Biden. Before this, I haven't had extremely high utilities wherever I lived. Did it knock my socks off seeing my bills? Yep and I wasn't a happy camper. I always unplug my power strips when not in use. I only keep my fridge, stove, freezer, and washer/dryer plugged in. I rely on daylight and lamps at night. I use key wind clocks for time. I haven't noticed my gas bill sky high (yet), but I'm sure that's coming next. So, I'll just reach for my damn it doll. (And nope, they're not the lovely antique Hertwig Chinaheads in my thumbnail image). Those are safely locked in my cabinet. Thank you for your helpful information. I enjoyed your video. 🙂

@awilliams935 2 жыл бұрын

Your both looking well 🙂 Am so glad I watched this video x I went straight to check my off peak times and they weren't what I thought they had changed x Goes to show you might think your doing everything but there's always something to double check 🙂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧❤️

@dotmenziesholden1251 2 жыл бұрын

I'm in the UK - our power charges are going up by hundreds of pounds in April. We have a smart meter installed and I have been trying to reduce our power consumption as much as possible - thank goodness the better weather is coming as I can dry the washing outside again instead of having it draped above the radiators. All our home appliances are the highest economy rated we can get, dreading our next bill.

@kellywilliams7214 2 жыл бұрын

We live in Ohio and only pay .05 per kwh with the supplier we have. I thought we had a really good rate and now I know that we do. I was surprised when our electric bill for the month of February actually went down from $97 to $85.That was a bill for 32 days. We do heat with propane but everything else is electric. One thing that really lowered our bill was when our water heater needed replaced, we got a hybrid water heater. they are expensive but we bought it on sale and also got a rebate from our electric company making the price just a little more than a regular electric water heater.

@La_sagne 2 жыл бұрын

what the hell do you do to have such a high bill? i pay $0.35 per kWh here in Germany and i only pay about $70 per month (averaged over the year) for electricity... and thats with a 70" tv, a big 5.1 surround sound system and a fairly powerful pc. so you are using about 9 times as much electricity as me. thats crazy.

@gregorymalchuk272 Жыл бұрын

@@La_sagne Probably air conditioning. She lives in what is effectively a temperate rainforest. I'm curious, what is the cost of electricity and gas in Germany right now?

@mendyviola 2 жыл бұрын

Cooling my home is by far my highest cost. Unfortunately I have single pane windows, and there are so many in the house that I can’t afford to replace them. We started putting that reflective water heater insulation on the west facing windows (the ones that “cook” our house) and black out curtains on all the windows and it helps quite a bit for a lot less than replacing the windows to keep the house cooler. We set our thermostat at 76+ during the hottest part of the day and use small fans to localize personal comfort. We are saving $$$ to better insulate the attic and add attic fans.

@donnamaciver2093 2 жыл бұрын

I'm in the UK and have lived in my house 22yrs and my bills have not changed that much but now my bills are going up massively, now my bills are going up 54%

@victoriajohnson1117 2 жыл бұрын

HELP!!! Mine has doubled too & thank you for making this video!

@Trandans 2 жыл бұрын

Great vid as always! My electricity bill has nearly doubled this year, and I need all tips and tricks that I can get. By the way, Hope, your top (or dress?) is beautiful!

@sagawang5 2 жыл бұрын

I did put one of my tv setups with DVD player on a power strip & I love it…. Per your suggestion in another video. Thx

@ear1421 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for doing the math for us! Great info ❤️

@dlsspy 2 жыл бұрын

Note the Kill-a-Watt measures kWh as well. You can plug it into something and leave it alone for a day or a few hours or so and come back and ask for the total amount of power used. e.g., when measuring your computer, you can measure the total amount overnight instead of just observing instantaneous readings periodically.

@mkshffr4936 2 жыл бұрын

Seems to me that replacing appliances with a 9 year payoff every 10 years might not be that helpful. What I would like to look at is comparative costs of various food storage methods. Freezing v.s. canning for example.

@me.6917 2 жыл бұрын

Canning is a great idea. Just wanted to add though that we just bought a giant deep freezer that cost $30 a year in energy and it only cost us $150 at target.

@sheilafreisthler4421 2 жыл бұрын

I currently have extended family living with me and as a result, my electric bill has gone up, but not substantially. Big problem is that the teenage granddaughter leaves lights on when not in the room, and no amount of reminders seem to help. I had new double-paned windows installed two years ago and it has helped tremendously on my heating bills.

@JennsCorner777 2 жыл бұрын

You need motion sensor light bulbs they turn off after a certain time of inactivity. Try Amazon.

@dawnt5587 2 жыл бұрын

Leaving lights on amounts to pennies. Unless it’s 24 hours a day 7 days a week, it’s not worth nagging someone about. It’s probably your hot water heater, dishwasher or washer/dryer using the extra amount.

@dawnt5587 Жыл бұрын

@@hlw1306 Because nagging about stuff that costs pennies is ridiculous. Pick your battles. Save your bitching for things that matter.

@dawnt5587 Жыл бұрын

@@hlw1306 yes, but nagging about a light left on isn’t worth it. Go turn it off and remind yourself you are causing turmoil by complaining about a few pennies.

@zenrvn4702 2 жыл бұрын

Just recd the lowest electric bill we’ve gotten in 11.5 years of owning our 4,250 sq ft house with an in ground pool on central AL. Have, 2 big fridge/freezers (1is 22 years old, the other 11.5 yrs) and 2 deep freezers (upright is 22 yrs old, sm chest type probably 30 yrs old we bought it used). We did not change anything about our usage but we are preparing to move so have packed and put into storage almost everything we own. No TVs, no other electronics except 2 laptops, 3 lamps that stay plugged in but seldom used, can count on two hands the outlets being used. Heat is gas. It was a nice surprise.

@sagawang5 2 жыл бұрын

Use a heating pad & keeps u warm.

@lunan491 2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree, a heated blanket or throw only uses 150w which is especially useful for a one or two person home!

@traceyobrien8410 2 жыл бұрын

A couple of months ago, I started on a monthly level pay plan. I like knowing exactly how much to budget for on a monthly basis, which helps to relieve the "electric shock.:

@janicebeckett7287 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, my utility bill was its highest ever in Feb. 2022. I've been in this house for 18 years.

@alanjswanner844 2 жыл бұрын

The only problem I see with replacing my old appliances with new ones is the lifespan and repair costs. I hear nightmares about breakdowns and repair costs associated with the new high tech appliances. I have old appliances that have NEVER cost us a repair in decades!

@daisygage7557 2 жыл бұрын

You are so right . The little savings in a new appliance is going to be gone with the cost of the new one every 8 years or less .

@stacia_p 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. Another tip is keeping refrigerator coils clean.

@bobdevreeze4741 2 жыл бұрын

Our last power bill was $854.00 for February. We averaged 20 days at -30f or colder bottoming out at -47.4f I am sorry , its hard to save anything when the furnace never stops. We are a total electric household that takes power from a dam about 1/4 mile from here. We have virtually no carbon foot print but we pay about 1/4 of that bill for carbon and another 1/4 in delivery charges and 13% tax so talk to me about saving without the power company finding out, they will come up with new charges to eat up any saving. The BIGGEST problem we have with electricity is the companies that provide it and the government who is suppose to protect us from predatory business practices

@HavaWM 2 жыл бұрын

Something I haven’t seen mentioned very often is charging devices while driving somewhere. Your car has to produce a fair amount of energy in order to get the engine to turn over in the morning. Once it’s running, though, the amount of energy that it needs is a whole lot less. As it’s driving down the road, it’s producing extra energy it doesn’t need. I bought an adapter for my cigarette lighter that allows me to charge devices as I drive. So I’ll charge my phone or iPad, etc, while making trips to the grocery store. If I’m driving down the road, something is charging, I guarantee you! 😁

@HavaWM 2 жыл бұрын

PS I recently purchased a Bluetti EB55 + PV200 solar panel. I did this for prepping reasons (in case the electricity goes out, I can use this battery and solar panel - it’ll even run your fridge, freezer, or power tool!) However, I’ve started charging it during the day and then bringing it in to charge all devices and any battery-powered lights. So I now charge my laptop, iPad, iPhone, and quite a few battery-powered lights completely for free. All told, I spent $1005 on this system (including tax), so it’ll take a heck of a long time to make that money back in terms of savings. But! I get the peace of mind of knowing that I can produce my own electricity if the power goes out. To tie this back into my top comment, I plug my Bluetti into my cigarette lighter as I drive somewhere (it comes with a cigarette lighter adapter) so even if it’s a cloudy day, I’m still getting enough power into this battery to charge all of my devices that evening. Two big thumbs up for the Bluetti EB55 + PV200! 👍👍

@daneladydriver603 2 жыл бұрын

Look at the windshield of any 18wheeler and you'll see lots of gadgets attached there....GPS and cell phones as well as lots of cookware, heaters, fans....you name it... that keep us drivers comfortable. Unfortunately I brought the bad habit of keeping chargers plugged in all the time home with me when I retired. However, living in Arizona and enjoying the outdoors, there are lots of chargers that can keep your phone powered by the sun....think it's time to get me one!

@HavaWM 2 жыл бұрын

@@daneladydriver603 - my husband and I used to travel full time - truck pulling a travel trailer as we toured around the country. It was my job to recharge everything battery powered (lights, fans, external batteries, etc) as we drove. I would have a pile of items that needed to be recharged and would switch them out as items finished up. I never really got out of the habit, even after we settled down. Once I found out there was free electricity that I could either use or be wasted, I started really focusing on how to make sure we captured every last volt. 😁

@Mingodough 2 жыл бұрын

My energy bill usually comes around $40-30. I always turn off and or unplug things when I head out. I forget sometimes but better than just leaving it on

@Myfavorites877 2 жыл бұрын

Wow! Mine is budget billed at $343 a month!

@horiadragoiu 2 жыл бұрын

@@Myfavorites877 around 343 is my monthly salary...

@KirbyEnthusiast 2 жыл бұрын

This was a game changer for me in Australia 🇦🇺 👌👌👌

@michellehiggins8980 2 жыл бұрын

In my area (a city in Australia) the service fee is not hidden, it's on every bill and for my bill it is always a big chunk of the total. Usage cost here is 26.67c/KwH and service fee is 96c per day.

@bria2596 2 жыл бұрын

Ooooohhhh. Ouch!

@jat6547 2 жыл бұрын

Right a comment. Not a BOOK !! Dam !!

@La_sagne 2 жыл бұрын

damn 96c per day is a lot. i pay more per kWh (about $0.35) but only about $0.50 per day service fee

@lindadenneypu6315 2 жыл бұрын

I'm in Melbourne Australia

@paulaward2197 2 жыл бұрын

@@jat6547 &

@anniesshenanigans3815 2 жыл бұрын

yes. here where I live our whole community is in an uproar over last two months bills. Mine 'only' went up 50 percent. But a lot of people have reported double and triple. Our rates went up, but the problem was not the rate increase, it was a switchover from one company to the new one. We think the meter reading had a glitch at the time of the switch. Anyway, I put all plugged in things on surge protectors and keep them turned off when I am not using them. I turn the water heater off unless I am going to use hot water, which averages only 2-3 times a week. I turned my heat OFF. My bill dropped below HALF of what it was last month. Frankly, I have not had a bill that low since I first had my house built in 2014, so I am happy about that. Going to the garage and turning off the water heater is worth it to me!! Thanks for all of your money saving videos. I am forwarding them into my facebook group that is for people on a low income.

@w8what575 2 жыл бұрын

The switch over to smart meters has also created huge electric bills for folks…the meters themselves use a lot of electricity and aren’t regulated like they should be and causing fires ….

@PositiveVibes1978 2 жыл бұрын

I ❤️ watching you guys y'all have taught me & my family so much thanks for all you do🙂

@anthonystech1016 2 жыл бұрын

I have Con Edison and they absolutely suck! For The past few months, my bill just keeps getting higher and higher, and the thing is that I always conserve energy, and I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to be paying $400-500 a month

@autobotdiva9268 2 жыл бұрын

just noticed the curio cabinet that is showcased during christmas with decor, etc was still plugged up! snatched that from the socket!

@lusnorthernhome3410 2 жыл бұрын

We had peak usage on a water tank . I had them remove it. It was a special deal the previous owners had installed with the tank installation. We had them remove the tank and put our own in. They were shutting the tank off when they had high usage , nothing more aggravating than needing a shower and the water is cold. I saw no difference in my bill. I think it used as much energy by having to try to heat itself back up after being turned off.

@k.Newbbie 2 жыл бұрын

🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️ I am right now seeking a (kill-ah-watt) machine as I switch MOST things off at the socket, however the things that are on standby have shocked me in this video.. UK prices are going UUUPPP even without our knowledge 👁🕵🏾‍♀️🕵🏾‍♀️ Also energy companies are ripping us off because we have no idea of the bill and how to work it out... THANK YOU for the education on that 🙏🏽 will be my new hobby (pain for the companies) I have purchased surge extension leads with separate on-off switches which I know will save me LOADS x

@vikkiherrett8549 2 жыл бұрын

I'm working my way threw the back log of your videos and just cann't learn enough thank you for the content . I was wondering if you have a top ten book recommendations ?❤️

@pamwilliams6630 2 жыл бұрын

I've changed washing and drying clothes. Do it about every 10 days instead of every other day. My electric was 10 dollars cheaper the month of Feb. Month of Jan was cheaper than Dec. Everyone else going up but mine going down.

@anna-lenameijer9942 2 жыл бұрын

Did you have full machines of laundry every other day?!?

@pamwilliams6630 2 жыл бұрын

@@anna-lenameijer9942 No, I didn't maybe half full. I like it better not washing so often. My mother washed almost 4 times a week, so I just did what she taught me:)

@pamwilliams6630 2 жыл бұрын

FYI: GOt my Feb electric 10 dollars cheaper than Jan...yea!!!

@LUckybones25 2 жыл бұрын

You guys are lovely. Thanks for the tips!

@MalikaBourne Жыл бұрын

Months back I watched another one of your energy saving videos. Larry and Hope, I applied your tips. We historically, used less electric than the neihgborbors in the complex we lived in already. The kicker is that we have to keep the temperature cool for my son's medical needs. Plus he has numerous pieces of durable medical equipment that has to stay plugged in. Most of our neighbors sit our side in the heat with the air shut off. We keep it pretty contract. (Ours$90/ month - most neighbors $150/ month. That was before the rates jumped.) We needed to move out of our cheap apartment to a safer wheelchair accessible rental apartment that would raise the rent $200 a month. Our old place rent was going up anyway and our energy jumped to $112 in the heat with central air. So, what were we going to do with $200 we don't really have? I found a newer energy efficient place twice as big and for that $200 more above budget. The former tenant average energy was only $80/ month. We have been here in the new place for 3 months with 80 to 90 degrees temps. We are only using $75/ a month. (That helps with the rent.) We don't have leaks. under the doors and windows. In fact the back side is 1/2 under ground. The filters are changed every 3 months and the vents are not shared and filthy with the neighbors. The newer frig is bigger than the old. I keep big ice packs up their to fill the freezer part. Oh my! What a blessing, we have a dishwasher. I run it after 10 pm. I cut the water bill form $20/ month to only $8/ month. I use motion sensor lights in the bath room so that I am not turinging on 8 expensive bulbs over the mirror. I don't turn on the over head light except for the florecent in the kitchen. I turn it on once- not on and off. The lights are just small bulbs. They use almost zip. I unplug everyappliance that I can right after use. The laundry room is the room right by our apartment. The new machines actually had hot water. (The old one only had cold) The price was 50 ents/ load less. Since I don;t have to carry wet laundry a block, I only wash laundry. I hang it up inside our large whellchair acceible bathroom on a rack to dry. Since the newer washer spins so well, the clothes are nearly spun 1/2 dry. Botta Bing. Bott Boom! ( I have a lot of incontentnet bedding to do for my bed bound "room mate". But, still, I am saving over $30 a month with better washer fully loaded - but not over loaded. And thanks guys for more tips. Our goal now that it is cooler and our new home with the door and windows shut still maintinas heat and cool air. Our goal for our October bill is $50 electric. We are fully electric except for the water heater.

@rochellethundercloud346 2 жыл бұрын

Also,check the seal on your appliances.if they don't seal right, energy wasted

@barbarabaker1726 2 жыл бұрын

Hello you guys? I am so glad that I found your video. Ya'll have told me so much about saving on my Electric bill and I really do appreciate you guys for your amazing video thank you and God bless 🙋‍♀️🙏

@carlapawlaczyk6582 2 жыл бұрын

New to the channel love your tips on saving.💙

@susanboeh3539 2 жыл бұрын

We just purchased a new refrigerator as the one that came with the house we bought 4 years ago was 19 years old. We expect energy savings but also had concerns with the supply chain and what we would do if the refrigerator stopped working during the summer. Our configuration requires that we have a counter depth fridge so options are more limited. In winter we were able to put our food into coolers and stored them outside (in the Midwest) for the switch over to the new fridge, since you need to cool down the new fridge for 20 hours before putting in food to avoid spoilage. No idea what the old fridge was pulling for kWh but the energy star rating for the new one is under 600 with other models we considered closer to 700. BTW the cost for the old fridge was $1892 in 2003 and the one we just purchased (no indoor water service that the old one did) was $1899!.

@La_sagne 2 жыл бұрын

undoubtedly the percentage savings will be huge, but $1900 is still a really hefty price. i hope its a very big fridge, because otherwise that'll take forever to be worth the savings

@memorysmaid9551 2 жыл бұрын

Our electric bill went from $196 in January, to $453 in February! I almost fainted.

@UndertheMedian 2 жыл бұрын

Holy moley! That's a big leap.

@southerngypsy1894 2 жыл бұрын

I have no idea how my bill jumped from $65 to $250. My furnace broke last winter and I haven't been able to afford to get it fixed so that's off and not running... My stove heating element is broken so I don't use the stove...so that's not it... I don't have TVs and I'm the only one that lives here.....yet my electricity bill USAGE has somehow skyrocketed from an avg of 300 kwh to 2,100 kwh?????????? I'm literally doing nothing different.....so where is this extra usage coming from????? Ya know???

@RenaGoss 2 жыл бұрын

@@southerngypsy1894 interesting

@southerngypsy1894 2 жыл бұрын

@@RenaGoss I'm calling the electric company 1st thing tomorrow. However, if it weren't for this video I never would have looked at the actual usage.

@jessicabulloch5302 2 жыл бұрын

@@southerngypsy1894 maybe a space heater?

@Kirstie72 2 жыл бұрын

Great info! Thank you!

@TheWhiteMamba3000 2 жыл бұрын

Just by keeping my lights off saves me about $20 - $30 a month on my electricity bills. I try to rely on sunlight as much as possible. Fortunate enough for me, I have a street light that shines through a window, which provides enough light to see where one is going at night. People don't realize how much cost is wasted with artificial lighting especially if your lighting has multiple bulbs being used.

@faithrada Жыл бұрын

Our electric rate in New Hampshire is 22 1/2 cents per kilowatt hour. That's pretty high. We installed a new Heat Tape on our roof edge to help prevent ice dams and inadvertently left it on all month. Our electric bill came in at a little over $500.00. Needless to say we are now going through our home and re-assessing EVERYTHING.... We're talking draconian people! Luckily our house is well positioned for Solar... so that's our next step. My hubby also sent for one of those Kill-O--Meters that Larry uses. Thanks Larry!

@edgemacbain4934 2 жыл бұрын

The phantom load of your garage door opener may be mitigated partially by connecting the power circuit to a wall light switch so when you are in for the night you can just flip the switch off, and when you begin the day or first go out to get in your car flip it back on again so it is only drawing, when you are either in the garage or out of the garage with the car

@alicephillips841 2 жыл бұрын

I'm also guilty of charging my appliances overnight. I also keep my reader on the charger unless I'm using it. All that will stop with these tips from you. Thank you.

@susankilstrom6852 Жыл бұрын

The videos you guys make are so very helpful. Thank you!

@lisamitchell4575 2 жыл бұрын

Very informative. Thank you

@livingafrugallife8140 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Larry & Hope, great video right on 🎯 for us. We are working down to FIRE and currently trying to cut our cost of living. In 2021 our Annual energy bill was $1,950 in 2022 it's going to climb higher. Looking at the back end of our bill we discovered our 16 year old fridge freezer in the garage was costing us $17 a month to run. We unplugged it on the stop and moved all the items into the kitchen appliances. I've started tracking the KWH daily and it's eye opening. At 2pm/4pm daily we have a huge spike in usage ever when no one is home. We are trying to wrap our head around it. Wondering if you are your followers would have an idea why. ❤ your channel and all your outstanding tips. Thank you Bar & C

@UndertheMedian 2 жыл бұрын

My guess would be your water heater is cycling at that time of the day to keep the water in the tank hot. That may be increasing your usage even though no one is at home.

@karenccs67 2 жыл бұрын

A great video, very informative, ty 🙋🏻‍♀️🇬🇧

@debwhitmore2574 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, very interesting!!

@denisehughes2898 2 жыл бұрын

This is my second time looking at this video. . . and it has given me inspiration for electricity savings. Inspired by this video, I have been working on my own version of saving money on charging my phone and laptop. Your idea was to charge these items for a few hours before bed and not leave them charging overnight, which would waste electricity because they would be fully charged within a few hours. However, my iPhone 8 powers down VERY quickly. So, I was thinking if I kept it unplugged overnight it will shut down in the middle of the night. Therefore, I came up with the idea to leave it on low power ALL the time. . . and it powers down MUCH slower now. I do have to put in my passcode every time I pick up my phone now, which is a little annoying, however, I just told myself to buck up, lol. Also, I FORCED MYSELF to quit going to sleep with a video playing on my laptop. . . and therefore it plays ALL night long! I have started leaving my cell phone and laptop in the living room and NOT taking them to bed with me, so that I WON'T be tempted! I read a book last night instead. Which also causes me to be less dependent on electronics, which is another goal of mine. NOW, I can work on charging my phone and laptop for a few hours a day. . . and see how that goes. I just had some prep work to do before getting to that point. Thank-you for the inspiration. I have subscribed :)

@JoyJohnsonWrit3r 2 жыл бұрын

I love your videos! Very helpful! Thanks!

@thebusybees2006 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you ! You guys look nice today🤗

@madamsecretary123 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this valuable information.

@audreysavard3248 2 жыл бұрын

My husband and me already apply all those tips. Litterally, anything is plug except the fridge, the oven and the wifi. For the last one, it's the only thing we autorizwd ourself to be lazy on electricity since all our hobbits use internet. We also adapt our daily activities to the outdoor meteo. We don't cook or use electronic on hot day to avoid heating the space in summer. We also get out those days to take fresher air or go to a climatised place like a librairy. On high humidy day, no cloth washing or cooking with water and we wash ourself with a humid cloth. In winter, we just layer before thinking of heating up. We also move our bed from basement to the second stair depanding of the season. Our electricity bill is so low and friends are asking how we do it.

@Hectoriousz 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video!

@grantmoody6721 2 жыл бұрын

we have 2 chest freezers as one is more for veg and bread. the other one is for our yellow sticker's meat's as that's how we keep our food bill down really low plus we have olio over so we do get some food for free to stop it going into landfill

@SharaBinghamMills 2 жыл бұрын

Hi you guys! Good show. Lookin' good Hope. Okay, Larry, you look good to. Great info. I'm sure you're helping lots of people!

@dorawedlock3969 2 жыл бұрын

Our combined electric, water, sewer, recycling and garbage pickup always runs about $65 per month for all those utilities. Our natural gas ( and we live where we have a long winter) was raised to $73 a month for balanced billing. We keep our heat at 70. Nobody even thinks about electric or water use. Lucky us! All but the gas is owned by the city.

@sandycook7453 2 жыл бұрын

We turned off our electric water heater during times it wasn't in use. The electric company thought there was something wrong with the meter. They came out and checked it but found nothing wrong but changed the meter. We told them what we were doing. It is wasting electricity to keep it running when we are not using it. For instance, we turned it off after our showers at night and during certain day time hours when not needed.

@allisonmilligan9834 2 жыл бұрын

I’m in the UK and prices here are CRAZY! They are going up again in April and our electricity will be 37 US cents per kilowatt hour……the pricing goes up again in October. Household gas and electricity bills are likely to double.

@patblack4332 2 жыл бұрын

Great video!!!

@sagawang5 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve had my washing machine magnets for years now so imagine how much cash I’ve saved over years & years. Most clothes not that dirty but hubby outside work clothes do get dirty & come out clean as if detergent used. I love them & I do use vinegar as fabric softner

@codeguru5024 2 жыл бұрын

Talking about charging devices... be sure to unplug the charger after your device is charged. It can still draw power, even after if the device is not plugged into the charger.