As I mentioned earlier this week, we are going off grid one day a week for the month of April. That day is today!I wrote this lovely form blog so you wouldn’t think I had forgotten about you. I’m not really here, though. My computer is turned off today. In fact, we’re not using any electricity at all today.
I know from last week, that we use way too much anyway. There are so many things we can do to cut down without taking the extreme steps we’re taking. Get up when the sun comes up. Go to bed when the sun goes down. Turn lights off when you leave a room. Open a window and let the outside air be your air conditioner. (Those of you in Oklahoma can feel free to ignore this advice. I know it doesn’t work well there. It works wonderfully up here in Michigan, though. And I don’t miss those $300 summer electric bills one bit!) Turn the TV off when you leave the room. Unplug the microwave, VCR, etc. when you're not using them. They're power-grubbers even when you're not using them. (If they glow at night, they're costing you money!)
Have a fun non-electric night where you eat dinner & play games by candle light. The kids will think it’s fun and you’ll save money to boot! It’s a win-win!
I’ve heard, though, that if you use fluorescent bulbs, you negate any savings if you turn the light off less than 15 minutes after you’ve turned it on because of the power it takes to light the bulb. I don’t have research on this. I heard someone tell me it once. And I believed it. I probably saw it on TV. If it’s on TV, then it must be true. Just keep it in mind and if you don’t believe me, then feel free to do your own research. Please, let me know if I’m wrong. That way I can quit walking into dark rooms during the day to get stuff.
Enjoy your Thursday! May you use a little less electricity today than you normally consume…just for fun!
-Me
2 comments:
I keep thinking we should figure out a way to unplug the things that suck energy even when not turned on. I guess I could start there! Someone suggested plugging everything (such as all the things for the TV... xbox, satellite, dvd player, etc) into a single power strip so you only have to turn that power strip on/off each time instead of unplugging every individual thing.
Well Amy, I went off grid for the overnight hours as well. Cholie started throwing up in the middle of the night so we slept out on the couches in the living room WITHOUT our fans on. We are dependent on the noise to help us sleep. :) Then at about 9am Friday morning I could not figure out why the house was so cold. Well, it seems that when I opened all the windows (the ones without plastic still on them) and doors the previous day to let the 60 degree weather into the house I also turned off the furnace and FORGOT to turn it back on before going to bed(you know those girls nights out with all the chocolate and chatting can really distract a person from remembering to do important things like turn back on the heat source for their home:) Thank God we had the beautiful sound the the rain beating against the windows to help us fall asleep! Oh Yeah, I don't plan on joining you next week for going off gird. I like it to be warmer than 64 degrees in my house when I sleep at night and I NEED my fan!!! :)
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