ESSENTIALS FOR CONTROLLING THE ELECTRIC BILL YEAR ROUND:
The following suggestions are only for electrical appliances. Some of these suggestions may seem minuscule, but it all adds up. If everything one does to save on electricity adds up to .50 cents a day, then that adds up to $182.00 per year. That's a weeks' worth of groceries for some families.

The best way to motivate conservation of electricity is to set goals. If one knows that the electric bill is $90 each month in the summer, aim for $70. Give the family a non-expensive reward for meeting each goal. Some examples: if they help save $50, then they get to spend $20 on a new DVD or something shareable. Or, maybe certificates for foot rubs.

Making lifestyle adjustments to include the following is easiest if one pretends that there is an energy crisis like there was in the 1970's. Once one begins the process of conservation, more ideas will occur.

KITCHEN:
STOVE: * Use iron skillets because they will hold the heat longer.
* Turn the burner off before the item is done cooking because the coils will stay hot for a bit.
* Cook for at least 2 meals at a time to use less electricity overall.
* Switch to a propane, if possible, for stove and fridge. Seville is a very long lasting propane fridge. Most refrigerators have a planned obsolesce of 10 years. A Seveille will last, at least, about one lifetime. Many gas stoves will run on propane just fine.
* Don't over-use or forget to shut off the exhaust fan above the stove.

FRIDGE: * Keep the fridge full so that it will take less energy to run
* Vacuum the coils on the fridge often for more efficient running.
* Having an external water & ice dispenser on the door keeps the fridge from losing most of it's cool every time the door is opened. Also, some models have a panel in the door that will allow access to the door shelf inside.
* Don't let the door hang open on the fridge while deciding what to get out of it.
* A freezer thermometer works great to help determine the best setting on the fridge temp control unit. Having the right setting could mean less energy used.

OTHER: * Wherever possible, switch to non electric hand appliances. Examples are: a hand-cranked hand-mixer, and a non-electric food processor or mill.

BATHROOMS: * Don't leave the exhaust running too long. Also, if the bathroom doesn't have any windows, the exhaust will have to work harder if the door is completely closed which results in higher

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