January Frost

Doctor BagThe Shock Doctors           Progressive Electrical Services Ltd
            ECRA/ESA #7001377
 

 

Writing your Prescription for Electrical Safety                      Jan 2011

 
In This Issue
Breakfast
Housework
Entertainment
Bath vs Shower
Dinner
Tips from our Readers
PAST NEWSLETTERS
EVERY WATT COUNTS

If you save only ONE WATT for one whole year.

  

1 watt x 24 hrs x 365days = 8,760 watts (8.76 kW)

 

8.76 kW x $.06/kW(avg) = 53˘ /year SAVINGS


"News You can Use around Your Home". Terry Carman RME 

 

Last month's reminder that we are facing a 46% total increase in hydro costs over the next 5 years has us thinking about what can we do to minimize the impact of this rate increase.  

How can we make reasonable decisions about the cost of using our electricity if we don't know how to equate each action to the Loonie in our pocketsCanada Dollar?

 

This month, we share some facts you
may find helpful to justify your seemingly irrational requests to change (or maintain) your family's hydro usage habits.

Terry Carman RME 


 

 

 

 

We have calculated what it costs on average, each time you choose to enjoy your appliances during peak usage hours, which through the winter months, are 7 am to 11 am and 5pm to 9pm,
Breakfast

Cup of CoffeeSipping that first aromatic coffee of the day made in a coffee maker that keeps the coffee warm for two full hours costs 18 ˘. (A good reason to choose the insulated carafe style when it is time to replace your current maker.)

You can sit down at the computer to check your email or change your Facebook profile for 4˘ per hour. (Leave it on all day for 50˘)

Housework

Sharing the Housework

Putting a load of clothes in the washing machine (on cold setting) costs about 77˘ per load and throwing the same load into the dryer for an hour will take another    50˘.

 

The hydro to run the dishwasher takes 18˘ per load, and vacuuming for ˝ an hour with an upright vacuum will cost 20˘.

 

Entertainment

 Canadian Idol

Still leaving the  TV on to keep the dog or cat company while you are out?

 

A conventional TV costs 9˘ per hour when it is on, a plasma screen TV of the same size will run for 4˘/hour and the comparable LCD will run for about 2-3˘/ hour.

As LCDs use florescent backlighting to produce images, they require substantially less power to operate than plasmas do. Plasma TV's light each and every pixel you see on a screen - even the dark pixels.  

Bath vs Shower

Cast iron bath tub

 Of course, many of us have discussed whether we use more water when showering versus soaking in a bath.

An average bath requires 30-50 gallons of water. The average 10 minute shower with an old shower head uses 40-50 gallons of water. With a low-flow shower head, only 25-30 gallons of water is used.

A 10 minute shower with a regular shower head will use about 40-50˘ of electricity from an electric hot water tank; the same shower with a low flow head will cost 25-30˘; a nice soak in the bath will cost about 30-50˘.

Cut the length of your shower to 5 minutes and cut the cost in 1/2!

 

Have some fun and do a little test: To compare the amount of water YOU use to shower vs. bath, put the plug in the tub the next time you take a shower (but not a stand-alone shower as you might spill over the lower shower wall). See if there is enough water in the tub when you are done to have a bath.

It is worth noting here that an electric hot water tank used by a family of 4 accounts for about $55 of the monthly hydro charges.

Dinner

Cooking dinner

 

Come dinner time, it will cost 49˘ to make a roast chicken and vegetables dinner, 12˘ for spaghetti and meat sauce, or just 7˘ for a stir fry. (The stirfry only has one pot to clean, too!)

 

Bake the brownies in a conventional oven for 9˘. (It will cost the same to bake a double batch!)

Do you have a question for the Doctor?
If you have a question about the health of your electrical system or would like to investigate a little "plastic surgery", ask the doctor: Click and send your question to  info@theshockdoctors.ca.
 
Happy New Year from the Shock Doctors!
Cheri  Cheri@theshockdoctors.ca 
  
The Shock Doctors
 

 

Hydro savings tips from our readers!

If you have a tip on how to save those elusive watts of electricity, please drop us a line and we will share them with our readers  Email Tips from our Readers. Thank you for sharing!

From Karen:
If you use dryer sheets to prevent static cling, you should be aware that these sheets leave a residue on the screen of your dryer lint trap. To see this - take your screen over to the sink and run some water through the screen. If there is residual residue remaining, the water will pool for a moment on the top of the screen before draining through it.

At least once a week - depending on the amount of laundry done, of course, - wash your dryer lint screen with soapy water to remove the dryer sheet residue. After doing this - test your screen again. This time, the water should flow directly through the screen.

A clean screen allows more hot air to flow into the dryer, thus resulting in less drying time required to dry your clothes.


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