AntiochOG's Quest to Save Energy

AntiochOG · 10-08-10, 09:18 PM

I'm starting this thread as a way to track both my energy usage, and the steps I'm taking to reduce it.

Background:
I live in Corvallis, Oregon in a fourplex built in 1964. My unit is 832 square ft. and located in the middle so I share walls with neighbors on two sides. There are 3 bedrooms and one bathroom. I live here alone 4 nights a week, and my 4 year old daughter lives here too the other 3 nights. The heat is electric baseboard with separate thermostats for each bedroom, and one for the main living area. The bathroom has a small in wall electric heater. The oven and range are electric as are the washer/dryer, and water heater which has 2 4500 watt elements. The roof is flat and white, and there isn't enough room for it possibly have very much insulation inside. There are 3 large single pane sliding glass doors, 1 other single pane window that is about 3x6 feet, and 3 skylights. I replaced all the light bulbs with CFL's the first week I moved in over 4 years ago.

Energy Usage:
I've been able to look up all my electric bills dating back to August of 2008. Because the number of days per billing month varies I've broken them down into average number of kwh used per day.

August 2008 10.36 kwh/day
September 2008 17.93 kwh/day
October 2008 16.84 kwh/day
November 2008 18.88 kwh/day
December 2008 23.57 kwh/day

January 2009 38.42 kwh/day
February 2009 47.64 kwh/day
March 2009 37.77 kwh/day
April 2009 32.43 kwh/day
May 2009 25.23 kwh/day
June 2009 13.87 kwh/day
July 2009 10.52 kwh/day
August 2009 10.83 kwh/day
September 2009 11.24 kwh/day
October 2009 13.35 kwh/day
November 2009 27.34 kwh/day
December 2009 46.23 kwh/day

January 2010 63.12 kwh/day
February 2010 50.75 kwh/day
March 2010 43.72 kwh/day
April 2010 42.13 kwh/day
May 2010 31.52 kwh/day
June 2010 29.47 kwh/day
July 2010 12.28 kwh/day
August 2010 9.50 kwh/day
September 2010 12.38 kwh/day
October 2010 12.10 kwh/day
November 2010 12.00 kwh/day
December 2010 17.76 kwh/day

As you can see last winter I stopped caring about saving money and just wanted to keep my house toasty all the time. This was probably related to having a girlfriend who spent a lot of time at my house, and did her laundry here too. Lately I've been back in the mindset of trying to save energy and the last few months have been good. My current average kwh/day for the last 12 months is 31.82 kwh/day. I'll be updating this thread with not only my latest energy use, but also my new average for the last 12 months.

Conservation:
Rather than just keeping my heat low and being cold all the time, I'm starting to look at ways that I can make my house more efficient. Hopefully I'll be able to stay warm and lower my energy costs.

One of the sliding doors is located in my bedroom. I work nights, so the light from the window is not welcomed when I'm trying to sleep during the day. I've tried covering the window with different things over the years, to trap the warmth and block the light. Currently I have the whole door covered with 1" thick R-tech insulfoam, on top of that there is a comforter hanging over the door, on top of that there are some black out curtains. This setup up does a really good job of keeping the light out, and the temperature behind the blanket feels much cooler than the temperature in the room during the winter.

I've also put the same foam insulation on the lower 4 feet of the sliding door in the living room. This allows lots of light in still, but hopefully helps trap some of the heat.

I've started making some improvements in the last week. I'll post more about that in the next few days. I'll try to get some pictures up too.

Xringer · 10-08-10, 10:12 PM

Sounds like some of the basic components need to be changed.
That single pane glass should be replaced with double pane or covered up with a tight 'storm' window.

Saw this story. Maybe you can get some local help.?.
Energy audits start challenge year

AntiochOG · 10-09-10, 08:17 AM

Thanks for the link! Unfortunately since I'm renting, I won't be replacing or adding any windows.

AntiochOG · 10-09-10, 08:27 AM

Just got my October electric bill. I used 375 kwh for 31 days. That's 12.10 kwh/day, 9.4% less than last year. My 12 month average usage went down to 31.71 kwh/day.

Xringer · 10-09-10, 08:40 AM

There is a bunch of info on the web about inside storm windows.. (no holes in the house).

Build Interior Storm Windows - DIY Interior Plastic Storms

Cut That Winter Chill With Quickie, Low-Cost Storm Windows

Daox · 10-09-10, 08:46 AM

Even that shrink film works pretty well. I used it when I was renting and it made a huge difference. I'm sure it more than pays for itself.

AntiochOG · 10-11-10, 02:51 PM

Those indoor storm windows look great. I’m definitely going to work on something like that. It should be fairly simple to do on the window in my daughter’s room which is about 30” x 76”. My sliding doors are significantly bigger so I might make two windows, one for each half of those. Anyone know a good place to buy the super clear vinyl. I've thought about just trying to find appropriate sized shower curtains and using those. I’ve covered the sliding door in my bedroom with 1” R-Tech Insulfoam and then hung a thick comforter over it, and then I have blackout curtains on top of that because I work at night so I want it to be pitch black in there during the day for sleeping. This seems to have insulated the window quite well.

I tested the flow rate on my shower head. I knew it was high, but I was really surprised that I could fill up a 5 gallon bucket in about 58 seconds. I don't keep it turned up that high during my shower, but there was obviously some room for improvement. I went and bought a Waterpic ecoflow showerhead. It has 5 settings and flows at 1.5 gpm. I don’t like it quite as much as the old one, but I think I can get used to it. For the last few months I've also been trying to shower at the gym more instead of showering at home, and I've been switching the water heater breaker off if I know I won't be needing to shower for several hours or more.

My hot water heater is in my extra bedroom. It is in the closet, right next to the wall that I share with the neighbor. I put up some reflective bubble wrap kind of stuff on that wall to try and reflect some of that heat back into the room instead of giving it to the neighbors

I’ve made an indoor clothes line in the extra bedroom. It really doesn’t seem too inconvenient at all, and now I can dry my clothes for free. I’ve been letting them dry for 24 hours and then throwing them in the dryer on low heat for a few minutes. The come out soft, dry and wrinkle free. I also ordered an indoor dryer vent last week. So far, but I like it. It’s nice to blow the heat into the house instead of blowing it outside and sucking cold air in through all my homes leaks, when I do need to use the dryer.

I’ve ordered a kill-a-watt and a programmable thermostat for the living room. I’m hoping that between the two of these I can make so more progress on lowering my electric bill.

Xringer · 10-11-10, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox

Even that shrink film works pretty well. I used it when I was renting and it made a huge difference. I'm sure it more than pays for itself.

In the fall of 2008 ,We installed that shrink film on 4 leaky Anderson sliding windows in the den, and only took down one this past summer.
I think the remaining 3 windows are going to last for 3 winters. (Maybe more).

Got some from Lowes for a pretty good price. I'll have to dig out
the left-overs and re-cover the one we torn off.. Before it gets cold!!

AntiochOG · 11-07-10, 09:32 AM

I just got my November bill and I'm very encouraged to see that my efforts to conserve are really working. I used 360 kwh for 30 days. That's 12.00 kwh/day, 56.1% less than the same month last year. My 12 month average usage went down to 30.43 kwh/day. I also got my most fuel efficient tank of gas to date in my car, 37 mpg, during the last month.

Daox · 11-07-10, 09:26 PM

Congrats on the big improvement.

That is quite the reduction in power usage.

10-08-10, 09:18 PM	#1
AntiochOG Lurking Renovator Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Corvallis, OR Posts: 22 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	AntiochOG's Quest to Save Energy I'm starting this thread as a way to track both my energy usage, and the steps I'm taking to reduce it. Background: I live in Corvallis, Oregon in a fourplex built in 1964. My unit is 832 square ft. and located in the middle so I share walls with neighbors on two sides. There are 3 bedrooms and one bathroom. I live here alone 4 nights a week, and my 4 year old daughter lives here too the other 3 nights. The heat is electric baseboard with separate thermostats for each bedroom, and one for the main living area. The bathroom has a small in wall electric heater. The oven and range are electric as are the washer/dryer, and water heater which has 2 4500 watt elements. The roof is flat and white, and there isn't enough room for it possibly have very much insulation inside. There are 3 large single pane sliding glass doors, 1 other single pane window that is about 3x6 feet, and 3 skylights. I replaced all the light bulbs with CFL's the first week I moved in over 4 years ago. Energy Usage: I've been able to look up all my electric bills dating back to August of 2008. Because the number of days per billing month varies I've broken them down into average number of kwh used per day. August 2008 10.36 kwh/day September 2008 17.93 kwh/day October 2008 16.84 kwh/day November 2008 18.88 kwh/day December 2008 23.57 kwh/day January 2009 38.42 kwh/day February 2009 47.64 kwh/day March 2009 37.77 kwh/day April 2009 32.43 kwh/day May 2009 25.23 kwh/day June 2009 13.87 kwh/day July 2009 10.52 kwh/day August 2009 10.83 kwh/day September 2009 11.24 kwh/day October 2009 13.35 kwh/day November 2009 27.34 kwh/day December 2009 46.23 kwh/day January 2010 63.12 kwh/day February 2010 50.75 kwh/day March 2010 43.72 kwh/day April 2010 42.13 kwh/day May 2010 31.52 kwh/day June 2010 29.47 kwh/day July 2010 12.28 kwh/day August 2010 9.50 kwh/day September 2010 12.38 kwh/day October 2010 12.10 kwh/day November 2010 12.00 kwh/day December 2010 17.76 kwh/day As you can see last winter I stopped caring about saving money and just wanted to keep my house toasty all the time. This was probably related to having a girlfriend who spent a lot of time at my house, and did her laundry here too. Lately I've been back in the mindset of trying to save energy and the last few months have been good. My current average kwh/day for the last 12 months is 31.82 kwh/day. I'll be updating this thread with not only my latest energy use, but also my new average for the last 12 months. Conservation: Rather than just keeping my heat low and being cold all the time, I'm starting to look at ways that I can make my house more efficient. Hopefully I'll be able to stay warm and lower my energy costs. One of the sliding doors is located in my bedroom. I work nights, so the light from the window is not welcomed when I'm trying to sleep during the day. I've tried covering the window with different things over the years, to trap the warmth and block the light. Currently I have the whole door covered with 1" thick R-tech insulfoam, on top of that there is a comforter hanging over the door, on top of that there are some black out curtains. This setup up does a really good job of keeping the light out, and the temperature behind the blanket feels much cooler than the temperature in the room during the winter. I've also put the same foam insulation on the lower 4 feet of the sliding door in the living room. This allows lots of light in still, but hopefully helps trap some of the heat. I've started making some improvements in the last week. I'll post more about that in the next few days. I'll try to get some pictures up too. Last edited by AntiochOG; 12-10-10 at 09:27 AM..

10-09-10, 08:46 AM	#6
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Even that shrink film works pretty well. I used it when I was renting and it made a huge difference. I'm sure it more than pays for itself. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-07-10, 09:26 PM	#10
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Congrats on the big improvement. That is quite the reduction in power usage. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-08-10, 10:12 PM	#2
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Sounds like some of the basic components need to be changed. That single pane glass should be replaced with double pane or covered up with a tight 'storm' window. Saw this story. Maybe you can get some local help.?. Energy audits start challenge year

10-09-10, 08:17 AM	#3
AntiochOG Lurking Renovator Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Corvallis, OR Posts: 22 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for the link! Unfortunately since I'm renting, I won't be replacing or adding any windows.

10-09-10, 08:27 AM	#4
AntiochOG Lurking Renovator Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Corvallis, OR Posts: 22 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Just got my October electric bill. I used 375 kwh for 31 days. That's 12.10 kwh/day, 9.4% less than last year. My 12 month average usage went down to 31.71 kwh/day.

10-09-10, 08:40 AM	#5
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	There is a bunch of info on the web about inside storm windows.. (no holes in the house). Build Interior Storm Windows - DIY Interior Plastic Storms Cut That Winter Chill With Quickie, Low-Cost Storm Windows

10-11-10, 02:51 PM	#7
AntiochOG Lurking Renovator Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Corvallis, OR Posts: 22 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Those indoor storm windows look great. I’m definitely going to work on something like that. It should be fairly simple to do on the window in my daughter’s room which is about 30” x 76”. My sliding doors are significantly bigger so I might make two windows, one for each half of those. Anyone know a good place to buy the super clear vinyl. I've thought about just trying to find appropriate sized shower curtains and using those. I’ve covered the sliding door in my bedroom with 1” R-Tech Insulfoam and then hung a thick comforter over it, and then I have blackout curtains on top of that because I work at night so I want it to be pitch black in there during the day for sleeping. This seems to have insulated the window quite well. I tested the flow rate on my shower head. I knew it was high, but I was really surprised that I could fill up a 5 gallon bucket in about 58 seconds. I don't keep it turned up that high during my shower, but there was obviously some room for improvement. I went and bought a Waterpic ecoflow showerhead. It has 5 settings and flows at 1.5 gpm. I don’t like it quite as much as the old one, but I think I can get used to it. For the last few months I've also been trying to shower at the gym more instead of showering at home, and I've been switching the water heater breaker off if I know I won't be needing to shower for several hours or more. My hot water heater is in my extra bedroom. It is in the closet, right next to the wall that I share with the neighbor. I put up some reflective bubble wrap kind of stuff on that wall to try and reflect some of that heat back into the room instead of giving it to the neighbors I’ve made an indoor clothes line in the extra bedroom. It really doesn’t seem too inconvenient at all, and now I can dry my clothes for free. I’ve been letting them dry for 24 hours and then throwing them in the dryer on low heat for a few minutes. The come out soft, dry and wrinkle free. I also ordered an indoor dryer vent last week. So far, but I like it. It’s nice to blow the heat into the house instead of blowing it outside and sucking cold air in through all my homes leaks, when I do need to use the dryer. I’ve ordered a kill-a-watt and a programmable thermostat for the living room. I’m hoping that between the two of these I can make so more progress on lowering my electric bill.

11-07-10, 09:32 AM	#9
AntiochOG Lurking Renovator Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Corvallis, OR Posts: 22 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I just got my November bill and I'm very encouraged to see that my efforts to conserve are really working. I used 360 kwh for 30 days. That's 12.00 kwh/day, 56.1% less than the same month last year. My 12 month average usage went down to 30.43 kwh/day. I also got my most fuel efficient tank of gas to date in my car, 37 mpg, during the last month.