At my last apartment I didn't ever get my utility bills. In fact, I was annoyed by having to pay a flat rate because I thought there was no incentive to conserve.
But YIKES!! In my new house, water is extremely expensive; electricity is more than I thought it would be; even garbage adds up! The first 2 months we were here, we left a lot of lights on (some of us are scared of the dark; some of us are lazy), most of us showered once a day, and I know one roommate in particular is extremely fond of long and frequent baths. We also discovered that we've been wasting water unknowingly every morning because our automatic sprinkler goes on at 6 am rain or shine.
Here are the steps I'm taking to deal with this:
1) Only showering every other day (this is tough because earth-friendly shampoo is not as effective at de-greasing the hair, but i'll get a hat.)
2) Turning off (I think...) the sprinkler system and letting the grass look crappy.
3) Going back to my rule of using natural light whenever possible and always turning the light out when leaving the room.
4) Engaging in heat wars with my roommates so the heater isn't always on (at least not in October!)
It's tougher to conserve when you live with others: stuff adds up fast, and it's a little awkward to pester them about changing their own behavior. But I'll do what I can. I'll see if next month's bills are any lower.
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1 comment:
Just an idea. Buy plug in timers / thermostats for your heating?
Then you can program to turn on only when a set temp or at set times during the day.
Hope you are still getting by!
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