Energy Tips Can Save Money !!

I often wondered growing up why my parents would tell me, "turn off the light Sara."
Now that I am that parent and aunt, I am often repeating myself except I add, "and that TV." You may wonder what the big deal is? I too wonder until I got my first bill of my new home in 2000. It was a Duke Energy bill because we were on electric and not gas at that time. It was also for two months because of how the bill cycle fell. I opened the bill and gasped for air. I showed it to my husband and he nonchalantly continued a conversation he was having with our son. I was sure that there was an error with the bill. I called Duke Energy to inquire their procedures and if this was an estimate or did they REALLY read my meter. They determined that it was indeed an accurate read!
"Really, I blurted out, Really??? I came from the coldest of the north and my bill in 4 months was never this high.!!" I am sure she was thinking, then go back North. I paid the mortgage, I mean electric bill and decided to do some observing over the next month.

Everyone, I mean all 3 kids, husband and dog left the lights on. The thermostat was moved again and again; I would adjust it to 71 and somehow, an invisible person would move it again and again.


Because our kids did not have Televisions in their room, fortunately I didn't have to monitor that power button. However, I would have to shout up the stairs, "did you turn your lights off?" "Yes mam" would echo in the foyer synchronized as if they were singing the hook to a song.

The next month's bill came. I ripped it open to see if my diligence paid off. Yes, I replied, 30% less. I knew we could do better the next month. It would be the last cold month for Charlotte. Again, the next month's bill came and we were down 50%. The experts say that it takes 30 days to create a habit. It may have been sixty days, but I was elated with the progress. Today my kids have homes of their own and when I visit, I am proud to say that they are very energy efficient!

The great thing is that we are working as a society to become more green. Duke Energy has great information on how to save on your home bills. Their research shows that 43% of residential energy consumption is heating and cooling, 12% is water heating and lighting is 11%. Just the three categories above is over 67% of our total bill. We can really decrease our budget by carefully creating new habits.

I received a wonderful surprise today in the mail. It was a duke energy efficiency starter kit. It included wonderful information and 6 Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, (CFL). I posted this blog because of this surprise and the great information in this kit.

I want to leave you with one fact from the U.S. Department of Energy; "In the average home, up to 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics occurs when the devices are turned off." I suggest unplugging those toasters, car chargers and night lights when they are not in use. It will make a difference.