Green Building for Real People

"Green Building for Real People" describes my experience in building a green house. My goal is to highlight the rewards and challenges and talk about the real costs faced by someone who neither has a ton of money nor has the wherewithal to do a lot of work him-/herself.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Crazy low kWh

I just opened my most recent electric bill, and it's the lowest ever since I moved into my house in January 2007: 124 kWh. By comparison, the average U.S. household uses some 800-900 kWh/month. So my bill is roughly 15 percent of the average.

I certainly admit to some personal circumstances that contribute to this low number. I live alone, I don't spend a ton of time in my home, I use gas (propane) for hot water and cooking. But I also make conscious decisions about my electricity use that affect my use.
- I designed my house without central air conditioning (see my previous post)
- I try to line dry my clothes when possible
- I completely terminate power to my electronics devices every night when I go to bed and don't turn them on again until I get home. This includes my cable box, which is a major energy consumer. Yes, I occasionally have to wait for my program guide information to reload, but I think it's worth it. I haven't gotten up the nerve to shut down my modem every night.
- CFLs, CFLs, CFLs! They're not perfect, but boy do they save energy. And of course I only turn on lights when I'm in the room.
- In summer months when I open windows daily I reduce the on time of my heat recovery ventilator.
- All my appliances are ENERGY STAR. The big one for anyone reading this is the refrigerator. If your fridge is old (say 15 years or older), replace it! You'll quickly earn back the money you shell out for a new one in energy savings.

Your fate is in your hands. Take control!

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