Our current goals have all started with our home. We have moved to all cfc's bulbs, we installed geo-thermal a few months back. We are very well insulated in our walls, attic and crawlspace. Sears just delivered our front loading washer/dryer. I have used a kill-a-watt to check our home for phantom loads etc. So, when I received my past electric bill I was excited to open it. According to my daily average, we are using about 90 kwh per day.

To be blunt, I was not sure if this was good or bad. So, after checking other forums I am finding that we are anywhere from double to triple what others are!!!! How can this be? My home is larger (about 3000 square feet) but we are a very tightly built home (built in 1986).

I refuse to throw my arms up in the air in surrender so am humbly asking others for ideas. We have asked our local utility for suggestions and after a brief questionaire about our home, they really did not have much to offer. I know of no air leaks in our home (ie outlets etc) and our duct work is insulated as is our water lines.

The only thing I can think of that could be hurting us is our sunroom and our skylights. Both of which are insulated and well built. But, the sunroom has windows on 2 of the four sides that are solid with no tinting etc. I know that room is always hotter in the summer and colder in the winter then the rest of the house. We keep the sliding insulated door to this room closed at all times. The kids use it as a play room so the doors do get opened quite a bit. The skylights are solid (ie they don't open) and we have 2 in the living room, 4 in the sunroom and 2 in the master bath.

Any suggestions as to what else we can do to reduce our energy consumption is much appreciated!

I don't have any aircondtioning, and what I do in summer to keep the house cool is shut all the windows and close the blinds and shades by 9AM. My husband sometimes complains that it's like living in a cave, but it keeps the house really quite comfortable on all but the hottest days. It might seem to defeat the purpose of a sunroom, but perhaps you should put up some kind of curtains in there for the summer.

In the winter, I make sure to keep all the blinds and shades open to let as much sunlight in as I can.

gatormom has some good ideas above. Are you turning off lights, tv's, radios, computers, etc. when not in use? Do you run full loads of dishes and clothes? Can you use a clothesline instead of a dryer?

We have an electric stove, and most of the summer we grill outside instead of cooking inside. We really do this more because of the heat than the electricity bill, but it helps.

Good luck, and glad to see you have changed your evil ways, lol. Kids have a way of doing that to us, don't they?

:)
Dee

Trying to do usage comparisons, even w/those close by, is often an exercise in futility. There are just too many variables effecting the bottom line, but that your awareness has been raised is a good thing.

Reading above and elsewhere on this site, I practice much of what's been stated, but not all. I consume within my own comfort level and conserve to the best of my ability. That's what should be done, not this knee-jerk PC reaction. We can't unring the bell of the past 50-100 years of growth w/detriments, but we can slow down the progressional damage - one household at a time. That's a good goal.

You've done your homework, tightened up where possible and that's great. Enjoy your home and your family. Just don't be wasteful (that's a biggie) and don't begrudge yourself, wife & kids the pleasures of life on Planet Earth. JMHO.

You might check your refridgerator especially if it's an older one. They can be huge energy hogs.

If you have electric hot water, I'd look there too. If you do, try setting the thermostat on your hot water heater a little lower, and see if it helps.