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How do you save on your GAS/HYDRO/FOOD bills ?
September 12, 2005 - 10:56pm
I went to "Home Depot" today and purchased that (black sponge copper tubing insulator) that's supposed to reduce gas usage on your hot water tank and save at least 3 to 4 percent on your bill.
Small savings but it all ads up. [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]
I also purchased some "Aluminum Foil Bubble Rap" for my basement windows which they say will reduce heat loss in the home and reduce your heating bill by 1 or 2 percent [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]
[ 12 September 2005: Message edited by: FastFoodFreddy ]
Regarding hot water heaters, there are brands that heat the water only as it is needed (using a super-hot element fired up as the need arises I think), and save a lot of money on long-term water heating costs. They originated in Europe, but are now available in Canada.
Thx for your reply .
Just curious how much do you pay for hydro ?
And how much would your family pay for Heat ?
I regularly do "lost leader" runs and buy nothing but "lost leaders". Just about everything ends up on sale sooner or later. [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]
Thus, I pay a very minor sum now for hydro every month. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img] (living in an apartment also means I don't need to waste a lot of energy heating the place)
Food...well, that's one area where I am not great. I don't go to grocery stores enough because the corner store is more convenient, and when there's just one person, it's easy to just sort of do impromptu trips to the store to grab stuff.
However, I find that never buying meat really saves me a bundle. I use tofu and eggs mostly to replace meat.
Originally I did not install the PVs to save money as they're quite expensive. But in my neck of the woods the eletric power is so flaky you'd swear this is a Third World country.
Oh, dear. If those are what I think they are, and if they haven't been improved since the 70s (but surely they have?), you aren't going to enjoy this, people.
We had small versions of those in the kitchen and shower of a house I lived in in England in the 70s. The water has two temperatures: very cold, or boiling hot. Yes, there is a super-hot element, and that gets the water from one extreme to the other very quickly -- and then you die. [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]
Boy, the first models of those things were bad, though. A simple shower could give you third-degree burns.
I've insulated all the hot water pipes and heating ducts. I also moved the pipes away from the outside walls. I've been insulating the house one room at a time. Painting around here consists of tearing out the walls, cutting out the shiplap, and installing insulation and vapour barrier. I'm also putting a new front door soon. I'm just waiting for Mrs. Rev to pick one. Next year, we'll start replacing windows.
Some other little tips:
Cover your pots when you cook.
In the winter, keep your blinds open during the day and closed at night. Reverse that in the summer.
Cut down on showers. I know several people who shower before and after work. Why?
Only heat the rooms you use. Close the registers and doors for the ones you don't use.
I've been thinking hard about the virtues of having a wood-burning fireplace, especially in an emergency such as the ice storm.
What are the virtues of each system? Who would plump for one or the other?
If you want an alternate source of heat, better to have some kind of stove, or other unit which sticks out from the wall, and is designed to radiate much of its heat inside the room. There are both wood-burning and gas-burning versions.
[Edited to correct mispledding of chimney].
[ 14 September 2005: Message edited by: 'lance ]
edited to say
'lance beat me to it.
[ 14 September 2005: Message edited by: Lard tunderin' jeesus ]
That still won't help with the ice storm. [img]frown.gif" border="0[/img]
Truthfully, yes. Nothing wrong with burning a little wood once in a while I suppose, but I'd neither make a habit of it, nor count on it for emergency heat.
Probably it lets some heat escape, though less if the draft is closed.
For emergency heat, you'd be best to get a propane-powered space heater or two. You can likely get them at Canadian Tire or some such. If you're uneasy about having propane cylinders in the house, store them in your shed/garage (you have one, yes? I'm not disremembering?).
edited to add: this is where having a small truck comes in handy - I can go right into the bush to retrieve my firewood. I'll be bringing back wood with the truck likely until the end of November. Then I'll switch to using my skidoo and komatick for the winter.
[ 14 September 2005: Message edited by: Boom Boom ]
This is one weird province. I've lived here for over thirty years, and I still don't understand it. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]
Seems pretty logical to me. The company was (formerly) Toronto Hydro, Ottawa Hydro, etc.