History: It's Fun Saving Electricity

There are two things I really enjoy; one is going to Lowe’s, and the other is shopping at Academy.  Maybe that makes me typical, but I think that every area needs those two stores.  I have now found something else to devout my attention too; saving money.

Recently, I had the opportunity to tour the District Office of Pedernales Electric in Liberty Hill.  While there, I learned that I can review my bill through the internet, and see how much energy my home is consuming on a daily basis.  Logging in and seeing my electric consumption was a bit of a shock as I could see how much I was actually using the previous day, and it was not pretty.  Information on the highs and lows for the day and the cost I was paying for electricity were also included.  I picked up a helpful tips pamphlet and made a new mission for myself; I was going to make my home and me, more efficient.

The following weekend, I did the basic things; change my air filter, check for cracks and leaks around doors and windows, and spray the coils around my air conditioner with the garden hose, closed the blinds and curtains.   The following Monday, my kWh (kilowatt hours) used was 56, down from 75.  I then began looking at appliances and how I use them.  On my dishwasher, I had been using the “Heated Dry Cycle” and I turned that option off.  I had been using 75 watt incandescent light bulbs in all my lights, and I changed to those new florescent bulbs that look like curly fries; I even put one in my refrigerator!  I turned my ice box up two settings; I had it on the coldest, and I turned my air conditioner up 3 degrees.  My kWh was going down, now at 46, down from 56.  I still wasn’t finished.   I raised my A/C by one degree, and turned my ceiling fans on from the low setting to the medium setting.  My home, comfortable now at 80 degrees, was the most efficient I could possible make it.  That next morning, logging in, I was very anxious; to my surprise, my kWh settled in at 48.  Closing my blinds during the day, pulling the curtains, and not holding the door of the fridge open longer than it needs to be were also things I had done, and now my kWh per day average is 12.  I went from a high of 95 kWh at a cost of $10.08 to 12 kWh at a cost of $1.73.  Extending that for a whole month would be $300.00 based on my old habits down to $52.00. 

I would like to ask all citizens of Leander to log on to PEC and sign up and see what you can save.  PEC’s website is pec.coop. Once you are signed up, go to MyUse Energy Analyzer.  It is worth it, I guarantee it!