Someone on NextDoor awhile back was lamenting her high electric bill, so I replied with this comment, about how my bill stays around $11. (I also talk in more detail about this topic in my book and elsewhere on this blog. The following are just the main low-hanging fruit I’ve identified in my household electricity usage.)
My main thing making a difference is probably that I do not use air conditioning or heat. (I can’t handle artificial cold air or closed windows in warm weather; it feels unpleasant to me. And winters are mild enough here that I don’t need heat either – I’m just good at dressing in layers.)
I also use a clothesline rather than a clothes dryer. (I like the results better — sun-dried laundry smells very fresh etc. — and it is easier on my clothes as well as my wallet.)
And I rarely use hot water. (But even at times with a bunch of people in my house and the water heater in use daily, the bill was only still about $25 or $30, so I think it must be the fact that I don’t use a/c, heat, or clothes-dryer that are making the biggest difference.)
Any more questions ask away, I always love helping people save money and resources!!
I also commented that, for me, $100 or $200 a month (which is what many people pay for electricity) is a lot of books and online classes, as well as opportunities to support local food.