How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Okay, anyone with any idea of how to get kids from wasting water and electricity please let me know. :banghead: I would like to get them of the mind set that these things can be finite, before they really are.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Ah, yes.
the joys of parenting.
teenagers taking 20 minute showers.
computers on 24/7, stereo on, lights on all over the house.
Good thing you are a rich American and you can afford such largesse.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Live somewhere that you have a cistern, no city water and have a weekly delivery truck of water come. You use too much water...you are out until the truck arrives again. Maybe not practical for all, but it worked for me growing up. I learned how precious it is. :D

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

I remember growing up my fathere was always turning off the lights in a room if I left them on. I would laugh about it to my friends. Now, years later when I leave a room, if even for a few minutes, I turn off the light. I became him. Lead by example.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

I don't know if you use checks to pay bills, but you might want to have your kids review the bills and write out the checks. A little reality goes a long way.:bear_thumb:

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Base their monthly allowance on the electric bill for that month.
There are sites on the web you can show them that list the average monthly costs to run different electrical items, based on that you could even have them figure out how much their usage adds to the family's total for the month. A good learning experience if nothing else.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Turn the power and water off for a day or two, tell them that the companies cut you off because you used too much. :biggrin:

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

My nephew lived with us for a couple teenage years while his momma was "finding herself" (again).....he used the upstairs bathroom as his, and in the mornings, he would stumble into the shower and stand there for, honestly, 20-30 minutes.....the bath is located over the kitchen and I could hear the water running the whole time, as the pipes run thru the laundry room ceiling, which is a closet attached to our kitchen.

It wasn't the water use that bothered me so much, as if you don't use our water, ( gravity fed spring ) it simply dumps the overage into the fish pond, but the power to heat the water....and the TIME he wasted just standing there aggravated me.....sooooo, I have two valves overhead on the pipes in the laundry closet, and I would start SLOWLY cutting the hot water one off until I heard this "Ka-THUMP" of his feet hitting the floor upstairs where he finally jumped out of the cold shower....ahahaaaaa.......he got the message.

So my suggestion if you can't access a valve easily has Mr. AP install one, and do the same.

For the electric, I'd tell them every time I pass your room and the light is one with "nobody home", the circuit to your room gets cut off for 24hrs.....then go to the panel, kill the power to their room for a day, ( put a lock on the panel cover ).....they will get the message.

OR better still, set a reasonable use for the whole house, and if exceeded, shut it ALL down except maybe the fridge/freezers ( and maybe them too ) for, say 12hrs......

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

my Dad was always on my case about this. i listened & obeyed, but not enthusiastically.

if he had put it in terms of his own time - for example explaining that he has to work a whole extra day each year to pay for me not turning the lights off - it would have sunk in better.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

going of grid and having to ration computer and television has realy woke the kids up for the most part on every thing.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

I would ask how much electricity do you think they are really wasting?
Last I heard, the biggest energy users in the home is the climate control, refrigerator and electric stove (if applicable) and the clothes washer/dryer machines. Other stuff like lights and TVs/radios/computers is dinky by comparison. The CFL lights use so little power, there's almost no financial point in turning the things off.

I'd suggest you go buy a Kill-A-Watt meter, and use it to find out how much power each device in your house really consumes. The main offenders to your electric bill might not be what you think.

-------

As far as "wasting water", how much does water cost where you live? A few years back I recall it was around 20 gallons per penny where I lived at the time--it was practically free. I am renting and water is covered so I don't get a water bill now, so I don't currently know what it is..... but I'd be amazed if it had so much as doubled.

-end-

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Better to build frugal habits now. If it isn't costing you much today, it will soon as city governments look for more income sources and as water supplies dwindle. In my area of Florida, there is a sewer impact fee tied to your water usage. Doesn't matter if the water you use never makes it down the drain - the utility company assumes it does. Effectively doubles the cost. And if you are on a well system, you still pay to run the electric motor to pump it out of the ground. And if any of that excess water usage is coming from your hot water heater, well that definitely costs.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Gundriller, sorry for the thread jack, just want to thank you for the link to Lasik Sugery dangers in your signature line -:36_1_25:

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Be glad... water is very expensive where I am. Nice that water is covered where you rent - my bill is close to 100/month, and that's with rather conservative use. We water as little as possible to keep the majority of the front lawn alive, as I am obligated under my lease to maintain "community standard", but I'll be damned if the front is going to look like Augusta during the Master's....

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

My son-in-law installed motion sensor switches in the kid's rooms and all of the bathrooms.

When they leave the room the lights go out in a minute or two. Available at Lowes, Home Depot etc.

As mentioned above the real electricity hogs are anything that cools or heats with electricity or has a large motor like the washer.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Beats me.

I'm still trying to figure out why my dad, in his late 70s, gargles with warm salt water for 2 minutes while leaving the tap running full blast the whole time. Or when washing a bunch of glasses. Or when just hanging around the kitchen. For some people the sound of hot running water - running straight down the drain - means that work is being done, I guess.

:10_1_19:

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

I'll fess up to having a problem with overlong showers. I took military showers for a while, but I have fallen back toward more profligate ways.

You might take the plunge and buy LED light bulbs for some of the lights the kids leave on. The initial investment is horrendous, but leave them on 24/7 and you're still only burning 6 watts -- big deal. I suspect these will slash electricity bills by 30% over the next 5-6 years.

Also: get rid of any hot plates, electric space heaters, or blow dryers in the house. Disable the A/C unless it's really hot.

You might take them out to the power and water meters, make them write down the readings, and tell them that once the numbers go past a certain total for the month, you will shut off the electricity and water for the rest of the month.

I dunno. I'm great with little kids, but I have no idea how to handle anyone over the age of 12 or so.

Our society has a problem with this in general: We light structures from below at night for the "ooh!" factor, washing out the dark sky in the process. We light empty streets and parking lots all night. We leave high-power security lights on everywhere, when motion-sensor lamps would do as well.

I was in the middle of a field in southern Nebraska a few weeks ago. The light of the Milky Way was breathtaking.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

I hate the new compact flourescent lights but I broke down and put a couple in the bathroom because it stays on 24/7.

There is a separate fixture with standard light bulbs for the times when we need real light.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

It is like driving, or handling firearms, or anything else.

They must be taught.

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Thanks to everyone for all the great advise keep it coming and I'll keep reading!

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Huh.

Maybe it is because both my parents, dead now,

Grew up in the depression.

But we didn't waste anything.

It came natural.

Turning off lights, quick showers, composting,

Eating leftovers.

Not buying junkfood.

No TV (mental equivalent of junkfood).

Gardening.

And a bunch of other stuff attached to

A thrifty lifestyle.

I truly don't know any other way.

And we lived well when I was growing up,

And I live well now.

Bookstores are dangerous for me.



scyth

Re: How To Stop Wasting Utilities?
 

Thanks I looked for something like this at lowes yesterday, they didn't have it. Was going to make Mr. AP invent something, now he won't have to. (He already has enough D*** projects) ;)