We’ve all been thinking about our hydro bills here at the library, now that the smart meters have come into effect. Sure, we have the listings to help us figure out the peak times of day and the average cost of running appliances etc, but how much are we really going to be billed? And how can we make better choices to help save some money?
First of all, Hydro One has a great website full of tips and information about our hydro bills and just what we’re paying for. You can see how electricity works, where our hydro dollars go and find out exactly what our usage is at any given moment.
But one of the best features of this site is a fun, interactive house called 10 Smart Meter Lane. You can click on any object in the house and select when and how long you’d like it to run and it will calculate just how much you’ll pay during the course of one day. You can add each to a grand total to see how much you’ll spend each day on electricity, which will not be exactly what your bill will show, but it should give you an idea about where you’re spending that money. Give it a try and receive some handy tips while you’re at it. (One of the biggest tips? Turn off and UNPLUG any appliance you’re not using, such as your TV. Did you know that even if your TV is off, it is still using electricity? Think about that DVD player, too. It takes power to run the clock…something that you might not care about.)
We have tons of books on making your home a greener space, and one of the latest is Ecoholic Home by Adria Vasil. There are wonderful tips to get your home to be more energy efficient and it’s all Canadian! This is one addiction you’ll be glad you had. So go ahead, become an Ecoholic!
