The following is taken from SECO's website about conserving energy:

4. Ceiling fans don’t cool a room; they just make you feel cooler. Use them, but turn ceiling fans off when you leave the room.

Here's the link to the page I copied the above from:

http://www.secoenergy.com/saving_energy.html

You don't need to run the ceiling fans.

I set temp to 85 when I am gone. Freezer and refrig to setting of 1. Turn Fans off. Usually runs about 50-60 per month when I am away for a month.

Our bills run from $15 to $35 in the summer months. We have a humidistat. We leave all our fans running on low for air circulation. We turn our fridge off and it doesn't stink (we prop it open of course). We leave bowls of coffee in every room.

Bowls of coffee????

With Cream and Sugar???

What size bowls?

(we leave stuff in the refrig that would stink if it was turned off)(ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, salad dressings, etc, etc, etc)(and BEER)

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Yearly operating cost of an average refrigerator is $60, divide by 12 = $5 Why turn it off?

The $58 bil I had was in a designer home (IRIS) Perhaps a smaller home would be less expensive. Okay- Looks like I can kill the fans, raise the temp to 82, lower the fridge, and get a humisistate.

The fresh coffee grounds will absorb any odors in a room. Give it a go - it does work! :)

Bill

I love the smell of coffee, but I would think "So would bugs." Wouldn't insects and other four legged creatures be attracted to the odor.

I usually set the AC to 82 and my brother, Jeffie, raises it to 85. 85 works fine and lowers the bill by about half.

(1750 SF house)


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Tom - I've used the coffee grounds myself in a confined space (a closed up 'car bag', used for sealing up and storing a car long term). Hence no issue with bugs, etc. getting in given that it's closed. A couple of small cans of fresh coffee grounds always does a good job of attracting the gasoline odors inside the bag - keeps it from getting attracted to the car's upholstery, etc.

My sister has used the coffee grounds concept in a small home (in FL) they leave unattended for months at a time. The coffee does a good job for them - she's never mentioned anything about it attracting unwanted pests. We stopped by their place for a few days this past June (they hadn't been there since March) and we noticed no bugs or anything.

Bill

Chuck? Does your brother Jeffie kill the fans also?

If left on he would.

He also shuts the garage door to the house left open by my son when he was in the house for three days last month. And rotates cars and carts from our place to his and to brother Jimmy's place.


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Sounds llike you are keeping Jeff busy. You better talk to you son about leaving the garage open. This is not a good thing.

Why turn off refrigerator
 

Here is something to consider.
We had a refrigerator with a water dispenser in the door. We went on a two week vacation and come home to a flood. The water dispenser was just running like someone was holding a glass under it. Ruined lots, major headache!

Better yet, cut off the water supply to the house . . .