Monday, January 30, 2012

My New Addiction

A few months ago I got a notice from SoCal Edison (electric company) that I can track my bill online throughout the month. I can also set it up to email me a weekly update of where I'm at and if I'm on track to stay within my goal for how much my electric bill will be.

That sounds cool, I thought. Then I didn't do it for two months.

But, I finally set it up a few weeks ago, and I LOVE it. I can log in and see what my current bill is and how much they predict I'll owe at the end of the month. I check it a few times per week, and it's really made me more mindful to unplug different things when they're not in use. I resisted the temptation to use my space heater the other night, and instead grabbed an extra blanket. I've been opening windows and turning off the lights during the day. I've also been letting my laptop charge all day at work, and then not plugging it in when I use it at home (as much as possible). I think this is making a big difference, actually.

Right now, I'm on track to be $4 under my goal for the month. I set my goal on the lowest end of what we've paid in the past. So, if I can keep consistent for the rest of the month, my electric bill will only be $16 this month. No, it's not saving me millions of dollars (heck, even hundreds). But it's nice to be in control, and it's also good for the environment.

And I'm really nerdy, so it's even kind of fun.

8 comments:

  1. I wish my electric company had something like that, I'd be obsessed too.

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  2. we're gonna start paying our own electric soon and this is one of those things I'm thinking of...how to save on electricty? I love the idea of taking my laptop and charging it at work...and also charging our phones in our cars, while we drive. and unplugging things when they're not in use. like the coffee maker.

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  3. I Wish my electric company did this! I have a feeling that I would be addicted.

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  4. Oh interesting! I wish I could do that.. I hate my electric bill. It's around $50 per month -- and only $25 of that is actual electricity usage, the other $25 is "delivery fees" WTF.

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  5. Cool! I've recently changed to a new provider who offers awesome tracking tools - have a blog post all about it scheduled for next week.

    I definitely charge things at work and in the car. We have limited plugs in the kitchen, so things like food processor, rice cooker and microwave only get plugged in when needed. I've set our MySky recorder to turn off after a certain amount of time inactive, and turn off our big power strip in the living room (has a lot of things plugged into it) at the wall except when in use.

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  6. That's kinda neat! A great way to help you "see" where your bill is too! Mine was recently changed too... kinda neat! I'll be posting about it soon...

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  7. That's awesome! People who don't have that option can, of course, go check their meter (like my Mom does), but unless it's a digital meter, they're not easy to read.

    I might steal your idea of charging up my laptop at work and running it on battery while home. I'm already showering at work, might as well do this too. ;)

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  8. This is the exact type of data that people can use to change their use and habits. It's kinda like the MPG indicator on our Honda. I now drive much smoother away from red lights with that meter. I hate seeing it show 10 mpg just to drive to the next red light!

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