Scott Lusted wrote:
I have some whole house power monitoring equipment that will really help you out. PM or email me if you are interested.
I did some extensive analysis this summer and fall that really helped me out with my power bills. We actually switched to the time of use power plan and ended up saving even more money.
lusteds at gmail dot com
-Scott
Thanks - I have the same (eGauge) and am using it now. We're on TOU-D with solar rates, meaning off peak is 5.3 c/kWh and on peak is 6.675 c/kWh. I'm doing pretty well as far as my lowest daily usage when we sleep at night and when nothing is on - we're down to about 600W (that includes 2 refrigerators, a radon pump, 2 DVRs, 7 outside lights for security, and internet equipment plus anything else that remains plugged in). The rest I have pretty full control over including 2 pool pumps (off peak right now), HVAC (we built a relay system that only allows one or the other to be on at the same time to prevent peak demand), and of course high use stuff like washer, dryer, and stovetop/oven.
My power bill for Oct was $17.53 including the unavoidable $10.41 in basic charges and REPS adjustment on the bill. That includes a bit of solar production from Sept. that wasn't credited then (new installation) but is about $130 less than last Oct.