Letter to the editor: What have you done to curtail energy use?

My wife and I have lived in a 1,700-square-foot house for around 20 years. It has a separate, insulated garage with no heating source, but all its lighting, rarely used, is in the form of LED strips that replaced neon lights some years ago.

We’ve insulated, replaced all lights with LEDs, have recent Energy Star appliances, keep unused lights off, reduce the heat at night and so forth. Our electric bills, before the most recent electricity supply increase, were between $60 and $90 per month for both delivery and supply. The higher figure was the result of a dehumidifier running in the basement 24/7 in the summer. Our Central Maine Power bill for January was $105 with the recent increase, a partial month. The next bill will be higher, we expect. Our usage is fairly constant.

We’ve recently replaced our 45-year-old oil furnace, which provides our living space and a separate hot-water system with energy. We also heat with a wood stove to supplement the oil system. In both energy areas, electricity, oil and wood use our monthly total energy cost on average is less than $350; not cheap but acceptable. We’ve spent money improving efficiency over time.

I wonder, always, about what individual circumstances are when writers complain about their energy costs. Large property, lights left on, no LEDs, house temperature at 70, etc., all come to mind. Don’t blame the energy provider too quickly. What have you done to manage usage and cost?

Oliver Andrews III
Phippsburg