Deadly Heat Wave

Last night as I walked around the house loudly complaining while flipping off light switches, I realized I've turned into my dad. When I was a young girl, my sisters and I constantly left lights burning in rooms we weren't using, and since we lived away from the military base where we were stationed, my dad took it personally. Those kilowatts were coming straight out of his wallet. And the exchange rate on the dollar wasn't exactly favorable, either.

Now I can so relate. With electricity rates skyrocketing, every extra watt of energy counts. Not to mention the threat of rolling blackouts. Never had that happen before. It's been so bloody hot that I found myself mowing the yard with only the light of the moon and security lights (that flipped on as I trudged by) to guide my way. Ridiculous. At 9 o'clock last night my neighbor came out and reprimanded me because it was 104 degrees. Too hot. Well, my yard resembled a jungle, and I was a desperate woman. So now it's mowed.

We are on our 35th consecutive day of triple digit temps here in Texas and it's seriously taking its toll. No one is outside during the day. No one. The kids are cooped up, my orange tree is browning, it's even too hot to take the kids to the local pool for fear of sunburn through all that SPF. We've been asked to conserve energy to help prevent blackouts, so yesterday I kicked my AC up to 78 degrees, didn't run the very full dishwasher until bedtime, and let the laundry stack up. (Not that I minded) But that didn't seem like near enough. I hate the idea of anyone going without electricity in such deadly heat, so here's a few more tips for those of you trying to conserve, whether to keep more cash money monkey in your wallet or out of necessity. 

1.  Wasting water wastes electricity. In big cities, the biggest draw on electricity is supplying water to residents and processing the water after it's been used. -Use water sparingly and check your water bill, if it's higher than usual that may indicate a leak somewhere.
2. Freezers and refrigerators use up to a sixth of all electricity in a typical American home--more than any other single appliance. If possible move the unit away from the wall, dishwasher, stove and heating vents to help it perform better.
3. Water heater. -Make sure it's set to 120 degrees to save money and prevent burns.
4. Chimney damper. -An open fireplace damper can let up to 8 percent of heat/air up the chimney.
5. Unplug. -Use a power strip on televisions, home theater equipment and stereos when not in use. According to NRDC even when you think these products are off, together their consumption can be equivalent to a continuously burning 75 or 100 watt lightbulb.
6. Put it to sleep. Make sure your computer is set to sleep mode so it burns through less watts while you're away.

Anyone else out there melting? What do you do to cut back on electricity?