So we got our first partial statement for our electric bill… it was only for roughly a week of electricity, and it was A LOT higher than we expected. Now granted: we’ve had people in and out over the past month a lot, I’ve been a little light crazy (I LOVE LIGHT!), there are more lights in this house than we’ve ever had, Chloe and Josiah can both reach switches and freely turn them on and off, and our stove is now electric as well as our dryer. So, we did expect it to be a little higher–and truly you really don’t know what to expect when moving into a new house.
So, if you come to visit us… prepare to sit in the dark. 😉
Okay, I’m just kidding. But it does make us more aware of what lights we are leaving on unconsciously and where we can conserve energy. It’s a good reminder to not be wasteful.
In other news: Tim is still working. It’s been pretty cold too, but the ground isn’t completely frozen and there still isn’t snow. He’s really ready to be done, but also thankful for the extra work, so it’s really a catch 22. Is that the right expression? Anyway, as of right now he’s working on his last job so he’ll most likely be done next week.
I can’t believe we are officially down to less than a month before Christmas! It sure snuck up on me this year! I normally go black Friday shopping but I’m not sure about this year. It might be nice to spend the day getting more stuff on the house done… but then again, if there is an amazing deal, I might just have to brave the crowds… we’ll see what the flyers have advertised. 🙂
And before I go, how about a picture?
Happy, clean kids! I just love their sudsy hair styles!
I love the tub! A tub kids can bathe in!
I love this picture! They are so cute!
When we first moved into our house, jordan and I often sat in the dark (literally) it drove my sister nuts!! haha.
Electric bill shell shock happened to us when we moved into the house in Winsted. Average monthly electric bill was $300. That means it was higher than that in the summer because of AC. Oh my word. My dad’s huge house didn’t have nearly as high of electric bills.
And we discovered the biggest waste of electric was our water heater. Something to consider if your water heater is electric. We got an insulator for it to conserve energy. We probably would have switched to a gas water heater if it was feasible.
Adorable picture!!!
Our electric is nearly $100 more in the summer because of the air conditioning. We’re trying to make the house as cheap as possible this winter by not running the heat. 🙂 It helps that we’re insulated by the neighbor’s house on one side. And we picked up a heater that uses less power than the vacuum cleaner. So Justin closes himself up in the office and turns on the heater and it gets nice and toasty. The rest of the house was probably 58-60* earlier this weekend, but the office was a snug 70*.
Have you considered doing an “energy audit”? You can get one done professionally, or for a cheaper option, follow the steps on the website:
http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audits
I agree with Amy on definitely checking on how well your water heater is insulated. And check if there’s a timer on it — ours is set to only have really hot water ready at certain times of the day. The rest of the day, it’s just warm.
And I hear you on the LOVING LIGHT at this time of year! 🙂 But remember: candles burn brighter in the dark! 😉
Ah, Kylene – candles not such a good idea with a young lad in the house! But I agree with the suggestion to get an energy audit. You’d think the realtor would have mentioned that the reason they sold their house was the high electric bills, but I guess you would have had to ask. Live and learn, I guess.
Chris, when we were house hunting this time around (and also in looking for a place to rent) I called the utility companies to find out what the average cost of electric and gas were for certain addresses. It was very helpful.