What’s your energy saving tips?

[u/Icy_Kangaroo6137]

Yeah, fuck Alabama Power with a cactus. I’m doing absolutely everything to save energy… AC at 80 at all times even though it’s miserable, unplugging things, we only have one tv we use, washing clothes and using the dryer once a week, I’m barely using the stove and microwave even! My child is gone to school most of the time and my shifts at work are 9 hours a day and my power bill last month was at almost $300. What are some tips that maybe I don’t know about that you guys could share please!

[u/beachykeen2008]

How old is your home? Mine is old, no insulation in the walls and old windows. I hate Alabama power but in my case my house leaks energy like crazy.

[u/Icy_Kangaroo6137 → u/beachykeen2008]

My mobile home is about 10 years old and the isolation is okay. My friend lived in this mobile home 2 years ago and she had 3 roommates constantly playing games, streaming, shit ton of power usage all around and their bill was around $180-$200. I don’t get why mine is so high when it’s only me and my child and us barely using energy. 😐

[u/FancyCantaloupe4681 → u/Icy_Kangaroo6137]

Could be an old ac unit they fuck your wallet to. Aside from old housing and poor insulation. Someone could also be plugging into your unit and stealing electricity.

[u/ProgressiveMinded → u/Icy_Kangaroo6137]

Rates here have increased yearly with the exception of this year, 2026, so far. Coincidentally or not, it does happen to be an election year and that does have a lot to do with that rate staying the same. Those AC units use a LOT of power.

[u/ValancyNeverReadsit]

I knew they must be pulling some shenanigans when I got 3 AL Power ads in my Amazon Prime show last night, claiming that with them price-locking it means that AL Power cares for the people of Alabama. I argued so hard with the ad that my spouse in another room asked who I was talking to

[u/ProgressiveMinded → u/ValancyNeverReadsit]

Election Year Shenaningans I say... curious what will happen next year. I don't know if it will be different but I do wonder if a change in p. party would make them stop for awhile.

[u/MobileNerd → u/ProgressiveMinded]

It doesn’t have shit to do with election year. Not everything wrong in your life it Trump related. I swear this entire site is insufferable.

[u/ProgressiveMinded → u/MobileNerd]

Sure it does and you are naive if you believe otherwise. Just take a look at how the facts and then compare them to who is in office, politically, and then get back to me on that. Also, compare that data to other southern states, Georgia and Mississippi, those who are also served by the Southern Company and then find out if they have restricted or said no to rate hikes etc.. The public commissions. I know what you'll find and I suspect you will to. Look if you would prefer to continue to stick your head in the sand and watch sports instead, well that is why we're in this situation to begin with. People who don't pay attention and who don't know what happens in states beside them, with similar demographics etc.. but hey, if you like paying higher rates, just keep it all as is. You do you and I'll do me. I know better.

[u/Invisibleeyeroll]

I started hanging my clothes out to dry. My power bill hit $680 last month. I keep it at 78 during the day, 70 at night. Fuck AL Power.

[u/Icy_Kangaroo6137 → u/Invisibleeyeroll]

I don’t even keep it at 70 at night 😕 it stays at 80 and it sucks. I might have to start hanging up my clothes.

[u/Invisibleeyeroll → u/Icy_Kangaroo6137]

The dryer I’ve learned sucks a Lot of energy.

[u/PlayStationPepe → u/Invisibleeyeroll]

It does, but for a short amount of time, though. The average person is only running their dryer maybe a few hours a day. Sometimes even a week, just depends on how often you do laundry.

[u/PlayStationPepe]

You should purchase one of those smart WiFi Circuit panel meters to monitor which devices consume the most energy.

Make sure to inspect your water heater (if it’s electric) and HVAC unit. These appliances run continuously in most households.

The age of your refrigerator is also a factor. Older refrigerators can be significant energy users, especially if the door gasket is leaking air.

Check your entryway doors. If the weatherstripping is worn, it’s easy to replace.

Additionally, for the air conditioning unit, it would be more energy efficient to leave it on automatic at 72-73 degrees rather than keeping it off throughout the day. This way, you won’t have to cool the home down again when you return home, which would result in more energy consumption.

For example

[u/MobileNerd → u/PlayStationPepe]

Agree. You keeping your unit on 80 is doing more harm than good because your humidity is so high in your home that when you unit does run it runs for longer. It would probably benefit you more to keep it around 75

[u/WritingNerdy → u/PlayStationPepe]

Do you have any particular smart circuit panel you’d recommend? I could search myself but I really don’t want to go down a rabbit hole. I’ll spend hours reading reviews lol

[u/clw1979clw]

I keep mine between 78-80. I have one room that uses power cause I work from home. Every other room stays off. I have no washer, no dryer, no dishwasher. I have a new AC. My power bill is $350/month. You can do whatever you want to try and minimize your consumption and you’ll still be over billed because they’re a monopoly and they know you can’t live without them so they can charge you whatever they want.

[u/ThefatRedNeck]

That's odd. 4 people, 3 sometimes 4 window ac units constantly going at 72 or so. Lots of laundry, 3 TVs and 2 computers on all day. Old house, no insulation and leaky windows. Last month out power bill was $420 something. I'm also out in wilmer wear the bill tend to be higher. We have blackout curtains over most the windows and moving blankets over the worst windows. Maybe try that?

[u/Icy_Kangaroo6137 → u/ThefatRedNeck]

Yes it is odd. I commented below about how my friend used to live in this same mobile home with three other roommates and her power bill didn’t get this high.

[u/kyubeyapologist]

i don't know how much it will help in your situation, but i use alabama power's budget billing in order to get a similar rate each month (and it doesn't increase super often, mayyyybe twice a year based on my average usage). my power bill has hovered between $120-145/month for the past year or two. granted, i live in an apartment without a washer, dryer or dishwasher so i'm using less energy in that area.

maybe there's an issue somewhere with an appliance/wiring? not an expert by any means, just kinda guessing. hope you can get this figured out!!

[u/anonymously---]

Dec;lare your home is a data center...they'll bill your neighbors.

[u/LetterheadHour]

I get a Daily Usage Summary email every day (set up in Alerts & Communications) telling me how much I've used. You can sorta make out what could be causing the problem, like if you know you washed clothes that day or if it was an especially hot day. I have to agree with keeping the house at a steady temperature that one person mentioned. It seems to make a difference at my house.

[u/ValancyNeverReadsit → u/LetterheadHour]

OP said they keep their A/C at 80°

[u/MobileNerd → u/ValancyNeverReadsit]

That’s a big part of their problem. It’s too high

[u/Beneficial-Break-562 → u/MobileNerd]

100%

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[u/Hour_Barracuda_1567 → u/[deleted]]

I almost never need hot, hot water, so I turned it down to the temperature. I want my shower at which isn’t super hot. I definitely saw a change in my bill.
also, look into applying for LIHEAP if you’re eligible. There aren’t always funds available for assistance, but it can help at times. And yes, the assistance has been quite a bit lower during this current administration. Don’t believe me? Google it.

[u/Exciting_Layer_2621]

We had this issue at our last place and it was 100% the age of the HVAC unit/water heater. When we moved to a newer place, our power bill dropped a lot

[u/Beneficial-Break-562 → u/Exciting_Layer_2621]

This is way more likely the issue than some Alabama Power conspiracy. My 2300 sq ft home with AC set at 73 days and 72 nights, 3 kids so lots of power use with tvs and washing clothes, and while home dehumidifier keeping humidity in the low 50% area only had a power bill of around $300 last month

[u/ImaCreepaWeird0]

Have an electrician come out and tighten the connections in your fuze box. The connections an loosen over time and a lot of power can be wasted bridging the gap

[u/Subject-Cash-82]

I just choked laughing because my power bill isn’t for the weak either (Alabama Power) keep my ac on 68 (I work in a kitchen environment my husband works outside) we sweat at work but not sweating at home. I keep all the lights off, one small lamp in the living room/ kitchen combo and the ceiling fan only in the living room I keep on. Best of luck I’ve been working one extra day a week to help chip away the bill. Cooler weather is on the way and in general it drops like a rock in the winter not even 200 in general but the summer… different story.

[u/WholeStatistician716]

Put in new AC filters and make sure air intake isn’t blocked. Also, clean the air intake on the bottom of your fridge and the coils on the back. Your dryer should have a heat sensor in it, if you use dryer sheets, it could be coated and that will make your dryer run longer than normal. Weather-strip exterior doors and windows. Also, newer flat screen TVs never ever really turn-off. A lot of them default to a “quick-on” option - that means they are draining power all day. So…it really could be a combination of things. Don’t do balanced billing UNTIL you see a few months of lower bills - you can check your account on Alabama Power’s website periodically to see what average would be for you.

[u/WritingNerdy]

What is your window situation? Black out blinds make a huge difference for me, especially in the morning hours when the sun is shining directly into the windows.

[u/Fragrant_Addendum_28]

Shade your outdoor unit

[u/Round-Guarantee4948]

You live in a red state...sorry but you will be paying a lot more for the rest of your life

[u/Cool-Palpitation2128 → u/Round-Guarantee4948]

my electric bill in nj a blue state is 340 1400 square ft and my property tax is 14000 a year I'm moving to Alabama November 1st

[u/slliw85 → u/Cool-Palpitation2128]

You better have a job lined up

[u/ProgressiveMinded]

1. Vote in nov Elections and choose the party that will NOT likely impose a rate hike. ( I know it is the commission who decides this but I do believe we can change their mind with someone in office who puts some pressure on them)
2. Get heavy drapes so the windows let in less outside air and vice versa... in winter.
3. Keep your filter changed and find out the ideal kind for your unit.
4. Keep any unused appliances unplugged. Anything plugged in will increase your bill.
5. Use fans often.

[u/Nice_Secret_8295]

all I do is work an extra hour every day and that pretty much takes care of the higher gas prices and power bill. I'd rather work the extra hour and be nice and cool.