I fully expect every derogatory comment anyone wants to shoot off at me....

But in one year our power company has had 4 rate hikes. The one last month was 13%. The others were 11%, 8% and 10%.

I just got my electric bill and you know how it shows the bars related to the previous year?

I used almost 1/4 LESS electricity this past month and my bill is over $100 more.

These are the facts:

1. I am single. I keep my therm at 83 when I'm not here and 78 when I am (not exactly comfortable).

2. I keep all computers, printers, tv's, etc. turned OFF when I'm not using them. Someone recently suggested that's not good enough: You need to actually unplug everything when you're not using them (lamps which aren't turned on, etc) in order to make a significance.

3. I wash two loads of clothes a week (at most) and installed a cute little 1950 clothes pole in my backyard to dry them with clothes-pins.

4. Since I live by myself I don't cook except for maybe twice a month. The rest of the time I eat sandwiches and fruit.

5. In each of my overhead lights I have 2 bulbs instead of the 3 allotted. And they're 60 watt instead of 100.

6. I run the dishwasher (mainly glassware) once every two weeks.

I'm sure there are other things (keeping drapes shut, water heater temp-, fridge temp, etc) that I'm forgetting to tell you but you get the point.

This bill was $383 for a 1500 sq ft house. When Cap and trade kicks in I have no idea what I'll do.

Until now I have lived a very honest life but I'm SICK of this shit!

I went to a swap meet over the weekend and they had this thing you could buy that would reduce your energy bill by 25%-40%. It's called plug and save.

Then I started googling about how years ago people used to put sand bags on their meter to slow the rotation..

Then something about magnets.

I do NOT want to do this but I am paying 50% of my take home to the electric company and it keeps getting worse every 3 months when they have another rate hike.

Does ANYONE know what I can do to reduce my electric meter?

They are RAPING us and there's nothing that appears that we can do anything about it.

I m a VERY frugal person. I don't even have cable TV or a cell phone. But by the time I pay the water, electricity, phone and trash pick up each month I seriously have very little to even buy food and gasoline with. I haven't bought a new piece of clothing or "luxury" item for over 3 years.

This just isn't right.

If anyone could suggest some things I would be truly grateful.

Miggy
(PS I can't keep the windows open at night because someone would break in- not that it matters- it's still 140 degrees here at night anyway)