I just wanted to know and when I saw it, I could not believe it.
I found out when the local electric company reads the meter. In June, the day they came by, I stopped using the solar clothes dryer (clothes line) and only used our energy star rated electric dryer.
I took the downtime to move the line to a better location that is more assessable and easier to use. Plus I doubled the capacity of line so we could hang more clothes at one time.
I kept the temperature in the house the same and we did everything as we would normally do except use the
One month later in July, and on the day the meter reader was due, we started using the clothes line again and stopped using the electric dryer. We tried to use the line at about 90 percent of the time during this test. Without adding in the weather getting hotter in July and the A/C running longer hours than June, the bill was still $130 dollars cheaper.
So there you go, simplicity at it's best. I know most of y'all already hang your clothes out, but while you are out there sweating and wondering if it's all worth it, I would say that it is. If that was done year around it is a savings of over $1500.00 a year.
Now, if I could only get the wife to start using the hand powered washing machine more.
MDR - Isn't it funny that everytime one hangs up wsshing one's eyes are ALWAYS blinded by the sunlight - no mstter which way the line faces...
ReplyDeleteHaven't had a tumble dryer for years... ;)
Your right Dani, for some reason it always is.
DeleteOur clothes lines kept breaking, I need to find some strong ones to put up. That is my excuse anyway.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good excuse SBF. We used cable for years.
DeleteMDR, buddy - we have no clothes dryer - we don't have any room for one! but being here almost 3 yrs and only using the washing machine in the winter, has taught me that i like doing laundry by hand, we both do, and we both like hanging clothes on the line. we laugh our fool-heads off when we do laundry together - it's so much fun! we never had this much fun back in the city with my fancy-schmancy front-loading washer and dryer.
ReplyDeletebut wow! that is A LOT of savings!!!
your friend,
kymber
The towels get a little rough Kymber but we have been doing laundry like this for over 20 years. I was always wondering how much I saved by doing it so now I know.
DeleteUse a little vinegar in the rinse.
DeleteThanks Anony
DeleteKymber why would you and Jambaloney do laundry? Everyone in Blogland knows how you folks feel about wearing clothes! Hee! Hee!
DeleteOur power bill in Fla at our house was $500 a month. Everything was electric, pool pump, A/C, water heater, dishwasher, etc. We moved saved $500 a month.
ReplyDeleteThat's some good savings right there Rob. So with all that saved money are you planning a trip to Disney Land? LOL, just kidding, I know you probably never want to see that place again.
DeleteOh I would go visit Disney World in a heartbeat. I dislike living in Central Florida. I'm just a kid at heart.
DeleteI understand Rob, when I was there it was a total gridlock the whole time.
Deletestop using your electric stove and oven and see how much more you save
ReplyDeleteThank you for your concern Anony.
DeleteWe already cook about 80% of our food outside as it is.
I never cook outdoors. I just cook lots of anything and reheat in the microwave. It works to keep the house cooler and to save me and electricity.
DeletePP, it's just something we have done for years. When the weather lets us, we cook and eat outside.
DeleteMDR,
ReplyDeleteI prefer to use the clothes line when ever possible. However, if it's raining or snowing sometimes I cheat and use my gas dryer.
I wouldn't call that cheating Sandy. You got to do what you got to do.
DeleteI have forgot and left my pants out overnight in the winter and they would stand up by themselves the next morning. Frozen solid.
I even built two lines in the laundry room with dryer line and hooks into the walls.
DeleteI luckily had two adjacent walls to do this to.
They make those retractable cloth lines you can hang up anywhere and then retract them when you are not using them.
DeleteIt makes dying in the house easier that way.
I have one of those on the back porch--it's full right now.
DeleteI saved lots of money with clothesline and hooks I already had.
Thanks.
"so we could hang more clothes at one time."
ReplyDeleteYou help? It seems that the kinder a man is, the more help he is around the house. Joe is my 100/100 partner. None of that 50/50 for us!!
I did great with husband #2!! I just wish we had more years ahead of us to do laundry together.
LJ, Last weekend while I was hanging out clothes, the kids and wife were sitting at the outdoor dinning table and I told the kids that they broke the mold when they made me. I said they would be lucky to find a husband secure enough in his manhood to do laundry. The wife agreed.
DeleteMy precious Joe says the same thing when he wears a pink shirt I bought him. All good men share the same traits.
DeleteWe use the line as much as possible, with obvious exceptions to freezing days and high humidity days. Things would mold out here in no time flat. Good to know a real savings comparison. Makes me feel better already! Too bad YOU had to find out the "hard" way :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Carolyn, it was just one of those things where I wanted to know because if it was not saving anything, then I probably wouldn't have kept doing it.
DeleteLove the clothes line. Not only saves money, but also smells better!
ReplyDeleteI agree April. Slipping into bed with clean sheets hung on the line is priceless.
DeleteI just feel obligated to use the sun instead of coal generated electricity. And, then there is the electric costs to my wallet. However, too many rainy days or pollen in the air makes me use the electric dryer. I hang all blouses, panties and socks in the house when I cannot use the line. It is just sheets and some towels that have to go in the dryer on rainy days. Usually, I can plan to wash on days good or hanging.
ReplyDeleteI figured out long ago that a dozen more pairs of panties and a dozen more towels and washcloths make washing and drying intervals longer, longer so the necessity of using a dryer is less. I think I have recouped the cost of having too many of some things. Some days, I hang only panties and fill the two lines. Yes, I guess it looks weird.
PP, The girls in the house won't hang their underwear. I don't push the issue and tell them to wait until they have a full load to wash and dry then. I can't see running the dryer for just a few items. I want it full if I am paying for it.
DeleteOkay, now I need to get the hubs back on that project! He talked himself out of doing it mid hole digging. One I tell him how much $ we will save he will be all for it lol!
ReplyDeleteKelly, The old saying of "The way to a mans heart is through his stomach" is wrong. You show him a way to save money and I bet you get what you want.
DeleteWe don't have a dryer or a dishwasher. We have lines in two parts of the house for when it rains.
ReplyDeleteLindaG, I haven't had a dishwasher in years. I don't see a reason in one.
DeleteDon't just go by how much your electric bill was reduced because the price of electricity varies from time to time. Look at your actual usage, compare the price per KWH, the number of days on the bill, etc.. for the best overall picture.
ReplyDeleteQueen, I compared the number of days but not the price per KWH, I will take a look at that but I can't see it being that big of a difference.
DeleteThanks for the advice.