How To Stay Out Of ‘Hot Water’ When You Get That Monthly Electricity Bill: A Few Tips From Mom

We all know Louisiana is known for it's unpredictable weather. Electricity bills sometimes seem to have a mind of their own, especially during the hot months and for those of us with large homes. For my parents, the number on that piece of paper is always a mystery and they tend to cringe while opening the envelope. We have a house that is over 3,000 square feet and nearly 200 years old with very old wooden floors and two AC units. It gets hot y'all and that bill can get quite ugly!

Our highest bill of the year usually comes around September, however, it likes to make an early appearance earlier in the year. Around spring and summer, our bill can sometimes double what it usually is, and dats high high. Last summer, I knew things were bad when she sent a text to my brother, my dad, and me (in a group of course) expressing her unhappiness and letting us know just what we need to do to get it back down to our usually amount. For all of you who may have this same problem or those looking for ways to prevent this, here are her suggestions:

• Make sure that all appliances or things that have to be plugged in are unplugged if they are not in use. Even though they are not on, they are still pulling electricity and that all adds up. (Ladies, we love our hair straighteners, blow dryers, and curling irons, but unplugging them when we aren't using them can also save the life of them.)
• If you watch TV in a room and then leave for a long period, make sure to turn the TV off. If you have a surround sound system hooked up to your TV, make sure to turn that off as well.
• If you are someone who likes to fall asleep with the TV on, try some other options. Maybe put in your headphones and listen to music on your phone, or read a book until you fall asleep instead.
• When you aren't home, turn your AC up just a little bit. Some of us like to come home to a cold house, but is it worth an extra, lets say, $200?
• If you have window unit in any room of your house, make sure that it is off if you leave the house or plan on being in another room for a while.
• Computers/Laptops do not to be plugged in all day or running constantly. It's also not computer healthy!

As my mom mentioned in her "little" message, "I don't like the idea of giving a complete stranger more money than I already have to! It's called budgeting." Remember this at the beginning of every month! Have a great rest of summer Dawgs and keep it cool!