How to save on your energy bill

Got a couple of bills today, electric among them. It was actually very exciting!

Budget for energy for February: $150
Spent in February: $90 (aprox)

That's a difference of about $60! Here's what we did that seems to have contributed:

• Turn off the heater. It's been pretty warm-- even close to eighty some days. However, our apartment stays cold, so it has been a sacrifice. No heat and a high of 39 is cold, but blankets, some fire wood, and more blankets keep the chill at bay. We do use it if it is going to be cold for a good while, like when we had an ice storm a few weeks ago.
• Limit lightbulb use. We try not to use the lights during daylight hours.
• Unplug stuff. We're actually not very good at this, but we try to turn off our surge protectors and unplug many of our appliances/computers/etc. when they are not in use. "Ghosting" electricity can really drain your wallet... apparently... (Note: Do not unplug your refrigerator! I do not want to be responsible for that!)

I know it's not a list of 35 things-- that may be coming at a later date. The point is that you don't have to do a million drastic things to see a difference in your bill. Our first bill was about $70, and it was only for about 10 days! From people I've talked to around here, average monthly bills are about $150.

I hope we can keep this up through the summer months as well. Of course, you'll know when we know.