As I was reading my copy of Earth 4 Energy, Michael Harvey (the e-book author) wrote about the concept of doing a home energy audit before investing on a residential solar power system.
The idea is to calculate the total amount of energy used in our homes.
That got me thinking. Is electricity from the power utility company the only power source I use at home?
As it turns out, it is more than just that.
The Non Obvious Energy Expense Bills
I sat down and thought about it for a while. What would be included as the cost of power at home?
I managed to come out with a list of 6 “non obvious” items.
I know it is not comprehensive, but it is a good start. If you have any idea, feel free to put in your comments.
Here’s the list of energy expense we pay apart from electricity from the grid in a household.
1) Wood and fuel.
I guess this would include anything that we will use to burn for heating purposes.
Unless you live in a mountain with lots of trees around you, firewood has to be purchased from somewhere. The money that you used is also considered energy cost for your home.
What type of item falls into this category?
Here’s a few example:
2) Collection and transportation of power.
In this category, the energy cost may not be obvious. Nonetheless, money is spent in order for us to consume the power.
The items included are:
3) Rental fees.
Most people may not even be aware of this.
Some homeowners may be renting a generator, the propane gas tank, or any item you don’t own which are associated with the power consumption at home.
4) Equipment purchases.
The costing for this item is easier to derive. This includes any equipment in our home that consume power i.e. barbecue grill, water heater, gas burner, air conditioner, room heater, dehumidifier, power generator etc.
The amount for the equipment purchased can be recorded from the purchase receipts.
5) The equipment repair and maintenance cost.
Any up keeping or servicing costs have to be included in this calculation.
Equipments are prone to break down.
Heating element has to be replaced.
Air conditioning unit has to be serviced.
These have to be included as part of a home energy cost.
6) Household items.
These type of items are usually small and most people would not take into account.
Items such as batteries, candle, glow sticks, flash light, emergency lamp etc.
Small Steps To A More Efficient Home
The list above may not be comprehensive, but it does pull out most of the “non obvious” home energy expense costs.
Are there any ways we can reduce them?
Any cost saving measures here will have a direct effect on the size of the home solar power system you will need later.
If there is anything you want to add onto the list, feel free to put it in the comment section below.
Home Solar And Wind Power Videos
Do you want to know how you can use solar modules or wind generator to reduce your home energy consumption? If you do, check out the 30 solar and wind power for home videos e-book we’ve compiled. It’s free to download.
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Related web pages:
1) Magniwork Reviews – Is Magniwork Generator System A Scam?
2) Green DIY Energy Reviews – Is Green DIY Energy Another Scam?
3) Earth4Energy Scam – Is Michael Harvey’s Earth4Energy A Fraud?
4) Home energy audits – The first step in making your home more efficient. An audit can help you assess how much energy your home uses and evaluate what measures you can take to improve efficiency.