Your kitchen may be full of money-wasters! Your fridge, stove, and small appliances can be power-sucking machines. Name brand dish detergent is your ally in winning the war on grease and grime, but using too much of it means that you are wasting money, replacing that bottle of detergent more often than needed. Thankfully, there … Read more
We all wear clothes. Therefore, by default, we all also wash, dry, iron, and fold our laundry on a regular basis. When calculating the cost of doing laundry, one must take into consideration a host of factors: detergent, water, energy, and wear and tear on our appliances, to name a few. It is estimated that … Read more
Nearly two years ago, I scheduled an energy audit with my utility company, Ameren Illinois. I was actually inspired to do so because I was preparing for an interview with the Citizens Utility Board. Since I was disseminating advice on reducing utility bills, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to schedule an energy audit of … Read more
As I was leaving the house at 7:30am, I noticed a definite chill in the air. I regretted my decision to walk out of the house wearing a sleeveless top, capris, and slip on shoes with no socks. The cooler morning temperatures reminded me that I wanted to share some simple things that you can do … Read more
At 2:30 yesterday afternoon we had nearly 70 mph straight line winds. They flattened fields of corn, bent billboard supports in half, and snapped power lines. Like a giant, invisible hand, the storm sent an aging power pole up the street from my house to wherever it is that power poles go when they die. Literally minutes … Read more
Summer temperatures have hit with a vengeance. The daily heat index is now often over 100 degrees. Not only that, we sit in our homes and listen to the central air cycling “on” – over and over again, in a seemingly endless loop. Mentally, we brace ourselves for the next utility bill to arrive, knowing … Read more
I often see jaws drop when I am invited to speak about energy costs and I confidently state, “Your best ally for saving on energy costs is your utility provider.” People often see the utility company as the “bad guy”, the large behemoth, sending them an unbelievably large bill every month and then gobbling up … Read more
You can’t ignore your utility bill. It arrives in the mail with Swiss watch consistency. You need lights and gas. Yet, the cost can sometimes threaten to sink your budgetary boat. I am a real customer, not a utility company employee. I give you “boots on the ground advice – stuff that has actually worked … Read more
These days we are all fighting COVID-19 with social distancing and staying at home. However, all this family togetherness may be raising your utility bills. There are four habits, which I’ve noticed in my own home in the past four weeks, which directly impact our energy usage. As I share each with you, I’ll also … Read more
Most people believe that their utility bill is a fixed cost, but this is NOT true! When we were living on an income which was 30% under the national median and trying to make headway on some major life goals, we began to look for strategies to reduce every single line item in our monthly … Read more
