I would be afraid to have the kerosene heaters with the kids around, essp Cameron.

My dh is a big unplugger too. LOL I guess its true that even if you aren't using the item, there is still electricty running to it, and that will bring up your bill. SO its always a good rule of thumb, if you aren't using your toaster, coffee pot, can opener, etc, you should leave them unplugged. I actually DON'T do this because the plugs are behind things and its too hard to plug in/unplugg all the time.

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

The kerosene heater that we have is a newer model that has a metal cage around it- so no hands are able to touch the actual heater (I burned my hand on top of one when I was growing up- ouch!). My youngest (she's 3) never went near the heater- unless it's off- I got to get her out of that habit! BTW- the metal cage gets warm- but not very hot!

I keep all lights off during the day b/c we have great natural light, most everything is unplugged and we use those energy efficient light bulbs in almost every light socket. My bill is much lower than friends of ours, but I can't test it or I'd have to pay more!
just a note, if you have a costco membership they have packages of those bulbs for much cheaper than in store!

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A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.-Eleanor Roosevelt

My DH is really bad at leaving lights and the TV on when not needed. It drives me crazy! So I'm always going around turning them off.... Oh, and I saw that some of you say that you unpllug stuff when you're not using them, and so I started doing that. I was telling my parents about it one time, and my dad, who's an electrician said that leaving them plugged in does not use hardly any electricity if they're turned off. He said that unplugging them would save me maybe a couple cents a month, and that's it. So I've stopped messing with that, because it's too much of a hassle for just a few cents!

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><> ~Amanda~ <><

http://www.treasuredmomentsphotography.com

Thats good to know, I won't feel so guilty about it now. Hehe LOL

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

THese are all very helpful tips. Thank you! We are movin in May from a 2 bedroom apartment heat included to a 3 bedroom house all utilities paid by us. So needless to say any tips I can get the better! I also have to teach the big kid in our house(hubby) to turn off lights when he is done. He is terrible! I will leave in the morning before him and be gone all day and come home and find like 2 rooms with lights left on ALL day! Ughh!!

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~~Sonja~~

My 3lynns~ Ashlynn-8, Brooklyn-4 and Kaylin-3

If you unplug an appliance, doesn't the electricity just fall out of the outlet?

LOL!

My mom is not one bit frugal, she leaves lamps burning all day long even when no one is home. She says she hates coming home to a dark house. My 12 yo niece lives with her and when she comes to our house she is constantly leaving the bathroom light on after she uses it. It drives me crazy. We have always taught our kids to turn the lights off when they leave the room. They are 8 and 4, they automatically turn off the lights, it's just second nature to them. My mom can't understand why my elect. bill is $67.00 and hers is $400.00. That's a total waste of money to me.

I would suggest paying attention to "vampire" items..........what this is, is any item that uses electricity, even when it is "off" for instance when a computer is sleeping (it is still using energy so that when you "wake" it up, it pops right on.
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Below is something that I found on a web search:



You might think that vampires only come out at night or during Halloween. Well, guess what? They are everywhere, all of the time, working 24 hours a day, using energy at your house; and they are adding some 20 percent each month to the amount your family pays for energy.

Vampire energy is a type of energy used by things that consume electricity twenty-four hours a day, even when they are turned off or not being used. TVs, VCRs, DVD players, computers/printers, stereos, microwaves, coffee machines, washers/dryers, rechargeable power tools, etc. are the everyday secret users of vampire energy. You think you have turned them off, but they are still running.

In fact, did you know that a TV with a remote could use more energy during the 20 hours it is turned off waiting for you to turn it on than it does while you are watching it for 4 hours in the evening? And don't forget about those little clocks on microwaves and VCRs--with every blinking second, they, too, are using vampire energy and adding to your monthly energy bill.

According to energy experts, the amount of energy used by these vampire consumers can add up quickly. Vampire energy amounts to about five percent of energy consumed in the United States and usually costs consumers more than $3 billion each year.


So, what can you do?

· Start by unplugging appliances directly from wall outlets when not in use. Instead of turning your electronic devices off one-at-a-time, make the job easier by plugging all of your electronics into a power strip or two and "switch off" the power strip after you have finished using the item(s). (Don't worry; this will not harm your electronics.)

· If you are not going to be using your computer for a while and don't want to shut it down, simply turn off your monitor. Screen savers do not reduce the amount of energy used.

· Try to use natural light whenever possible during the day, turn lights off when you are not using them.

· If you know someone who is planning to buy a new appliance like a refrigerator or dishwasher, make sure they look for ones that have earned the EnergyStar® --they use less energy, sometimes half as much, to perform their normal duties.


The ENERGY STAR® is a blue sticker that can be found directly on the on the appliance itself or the box it comes in. You can also check the yellow Energy Guide Label that shows how much energy the appliance will use and compare it with others.

We all know that money does not grow on trees! So, beware of energy vampires and do not let them continue to suck energy from your home, especially when you are not there to join in the fun.

Learn more about saving energy at home on the Energy Savers website, or read an article about the ENERGY STAR "Change a Light" campaign.

Good tips!!! Thanks for that, thats really helpful!

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4