The Energy Mizer
More Light from Less Electricity
Dan Knight - Jan. 2006
During my separation I lived alone in a one bedroom apartment, and my electric bill never hit $10 a month. How's that for frugal?
There were a lot of factors involved: a gas stove, baseboard heat included in the rent, and no washer, dryer, or dishwasher. And I moved out before air conditioning season.
Electrical appliances included a refridgerator, a microwave, and a coffee maker. I had a TV and DVD player/stereo, as well as a clock radio on my bedroom. Not much power drain.
It was a small apartment with big windows, and I took as much advantage of daylight as I could. I didn't need to use lights much during the day.
My PowerBook G4 doesn't draw much power, and the Dell next to my bed got turned off when I wasn't using it.
Light Bulbs
The biggest factor in my low electric bills was probably light bulbs. I replaced all the 40, 60, and 75 Watt incandescent bulbs with those twisty flourescent bulbs that fit in a regular light socket.
I had a pair of 40W equivalents in the bathroom and 60W equivalents in the rest of the apartment. These put out about the same amount of light as 40W and 60W incandescent bulbs, but they use 74% less electricity.
Nowadays I'm also using some 100W equivalent bulbs, and they only draw 26W of power. Lots of light with minimal impact on the electric bill.
Penny Wise, Pound Foolish?
If you've seen these bulbs in your grocery store, you know they're not cheap. You can pay $5-6 for single bulbs. Or you can go to Sam's Club and buy six 100W equivalent or eight 60W equivalent bulbs in a single package for under $15.
I'm sure these bulbs have saved at least $5 a month, and we've been using them in the family home as well, where the electric bill has dropped significantly. They also tend to last a lot longer than incandescent bulbs, giving them one more advantage.
If you're trying to trim your electric bill, figure out which 4-8 bulbs in your house are on the most often, pick up a multipack of these flourescent bulbs, and replace the incandescents. Then see how much it trims from your next two electric bills.
Next issue: The true cost of waterbeds.
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