Studies have shown that most households can reduce their electricty use about 13% just by paying greater attention. The first step is stopping to examine your electric bill each month and entering the amount you used. SOUL of Wisconsin can provide you a private, online calculator sheet to help you set modest reduction goals based on your current use. Just fill out this FORM or contact SOUL for assistance.

If your Wisconsin household uses more than 700 MHW per month and you do not heat your house or your water with electricity, you likely have some equipment that is on longer than it needs to be or is gobbling up excessive power. Dehumidifiers, fans, extra refrigerators/freezers, cable boxes, outdoor lights, pipe heater tape, audio amplifiers, work lights, battery chargers, computers, air conditioners, baseboard heaters, ceiling fans are some typical offenders that need to be off when not needed.

$10 countdown timers can be used to turn off equipment after expected use periods. For example, plug in all of your TV entertainment devices into a one power strip and plug the strip into a count-down timer with 1, 2, 4 and 8 hour options. After everyone has dozed off, everything will get powered-down until the next time of use.

Wasteful appliances can be tracked down with a ~$20 P3 International "Kill-a-Watt" meter. Just plug the meter into an outlet, plug the appliance into the meter and make note of date. Generally, no device should require more than 10% of the power you use. There's computer at the bottom of the tracking spreadheet to determine the monthly percentage. Enter the dates you start and stop the measurement and the KWH number from the meter (toggle the purple button on the far right).

Here are some typical montly operation total/costs that might shed light. Old computers and CRT monitors are notorious. If you need mutliple freezers or refrigerators, make sure the seals are flexible and close air tight. The savings are significant if you can move the extra frig or freezer into an unheated room from October to April and back into the basment for the summer.

Most of the appliances in a work place kitchenette can be shut off every night.

Once you start looking you will find other reductions that go a step beyond remebering to shut off the lights fans and other appliances when you leave a room.