Posted by: krodriguez Mar 27 2006, 08:57 PM

Well, we got the bill after hanging the clothes on the line for just about a month.

Drum roll...................















We used approximately 1800 kwh in March 05 and approximately 1350 last month.

Hw, last year the price was $.09/kwh and now it is $.14/kwh. Our bill went up almost $20!!!!!! I was furious! Thank goodness I was hanging the clothes up this last month. I cannot imagine how high it would have been otherwise.

Posted by: chocolatechic Mar 27 2006, 09:01 PM

Congratulations!!! Isnt' that a wonderful feeling?!?!?

Posted by: krodriguez Mar 27 2006, 09:03 PM

Of course it would be even better had the bill gone down from last year. I am just so irritated. I called and they said that the TX legislature passed the bill that allowed the prices to rise. I called the Energy Commission and they said it could be as high as $.18 by next March! I am one irritated customer.

I told J he needed to learn how to install solar panels.

Posted by: JessicaN Mar 27 2006, 09:31 PM

Well, you saved over $22 on your bill considering current prices.

I looked into solar panels once, you had to have them for like 30 years before they paid for themselves, they are extremely expensive. The thing to look into is a windbine if you have the right climate for them.

Posted by: kpmom Mar 27 2006, 09:43 PM

How about the difference between last month's bill (I.e., no clothesline) and this months (with clothesline)?
Do you see a difference?

Posted by: wings Mar 27 2006, 10:03 PM

Kelly,

You don't live in the Houston area do you?? That is what we are fighting. Dec 04 we used 3000 KWH and the bill was around 150, in Dec 05 we used 2700 and the bill was around 200!!!! My balanced bill went from 264 a month in Feb to 461 in March. I almost had a heart attack. Everyones bill went up around the same amount.

I am soooo glad you had a KWH savings. I am looking forward to at least getting my bill where it is reasonable. They also said it didn't matter which TX company you had it was going to be around the same. It had to do with deregulation being at the five year mark? They just deregulated my budget is all they did!!!

Ber

Posted by: Sammi Mar 28 2006, 08:05 AM

We got a statement this month, saying ours was rising too. Our bill, is $400. a month now!!!!!! This old house has so many leaks in it, our bill is sky high!!!!

I wish I could convince dh to do something about it.

Posted by: chocolatechic Mar 28 2006, 08:31 AM

Blown in insulation...

Posted by: JessicaN Mar 28 2006, 09:23 AM

I think you can even do it yourself, to save $$$$, I want to look into it ourselves for next year. I know you can get a free machine rental for attic blowing when you buy so many bags from Home Depot, but I need to look into blowing our walls.

Posted by: foxchild Mar 28 2006, 01:10 PM

Boy am I glad to have a very small house to heat and cool. We could never afford that much on one bill.

Posted by: mom-to-five Mar 28 2006, 01:48 PM

Is that really as good as they say it is? I mean I have heard it both ways.... that the blown is stuff settles and then you have to have more blown in and its is expensive blah blah blah.... just wondering....

Posted by: foxchild Mar 28 2006, 01:52 PM

The lady who owned the house before us, had it down. We have been in the house almost 6 years and have not noticed anything. Oh and the house was vacant for almost 2 years before we bought it. So I am not sure how long it has been done, at least 8 years probably more. The only places we have draft problems are with our windows.

Oh it would be cheaper than tearing down all the outside plaster or drywall to put in regular insulation.

Posted by: Beth S...in AK Mar 28 2006, 03:08 PM

We enclosed our garage and made it a school room when we lived in Panama City, FL. We noticed a huge difference with the blown insulation! It was not hard to do at all...and I don't remember that it was very expensive.

Posted by: AKHomemom Mar 29 2006, 11:26 AM

Put him in charge of paying the bills.



DH has been thinking of doing that in our attic/cielings.
We need to put weather stripping at the doors. If he doesn't do it this summer I'm going to do it in Sept.

Posted by: mimzie Mar 29 2006, 11:41 AM

We did blown in insulation last year I think and it did a LOT of good!! This house is 30-40yrs old and the insulation was probably what was installed when the house was new so pretty much NO insulation at all by the time we moved in. I think the blown-in was cheap, like $5 a bag?? It was less than $100 to do the entire attic and some walls. We only used like 10 bags or so too but I remember it was really cheap, not sure of the exact cost per bag but I know it was under $100. The machine is free to rent too, didnt take but maybe an hour to get everything done.

The house seemed a lot cooler/warmer (depending on weather) and all we heat with is our stove which was wonderful this "winter" (Texas winter ok LOL) We turned the stove off while we slept and on only in the evening and that's with young ones that cant wrap up in a blanket, it never got that cold inside. Now FIL's house next door, you would froze your hiney off! (No insulation)

We got new windows last fall (windows were as old as the house) so hopefully we will see even more savings this year!

It'll be fun this summer with 1 a/c but last year we had an a/c that was pulling way too much juice (after it scorched the wall we chunked it and saw $150 savings a month!!!!) So if you have window units make sure they work properly!! This was a newer unit too, a Sears brand or carrier, I dont remember, it was a very expensive brand though but it didnt work very well at all!

Posted by: chocolatechic Mar 29 2006, 11:50 AM

I have some laundry out on the line today.!!! I am so excited. I love being able to do it in the spring-fall outside........I can get so much more laundry done a day.

Posted by: krodriguez Mar 30 2006, 01:47 AM

We are in DFW and you are right. All of TX is struggling with this. Sadly, Gov Perry is allowing TXU and the other electric companies to do this. It seems like we are being charged a lot more than you are though bc ours was 1350 kwh and my bill was $190. I am just not sure where we can cut down any further.



This would help if the AC or heater was being used....we are freezing ourselves to save money.



Yes, it really works. My mom spent $200 and had some men from the church help her. She saved that just during the summer months. Her bills have dropped drastically. I would love to do it too. I am working on convincing J but our attic has very little space to stand. I have already fallen through. The bruise was huge and lasted almost a month. I was proud of it though.