How to Save on Your Electric Bill

Ah, thunderstorms. Maybe I'm the only one, but I've always found a good summer thunderstorm to be exciting, and I can't get enough of them. There's just something equally calming and thrilling about watching a downpour of rain with a clash of thunder.

My favorite part? When the electric goes out, and that meter stops running. The tranquility of not hemorrhaging money.

Occasionally for fun (much to the dismay of my husband), I'll pull the breaker on the house to keep our electric bill down. With the exception of the fridge.

The result? A $30 electric bill. Not too shabby for Met-Ed.

It can be a challenge to give up electricity. You'd have to stop reading this, and get off the computer. You'd have to notice how quiet your house is with nothing running. Go ahead and give it a try.

Currently I'm trying to convince my husband to go a week with electricity, with exceptions for the fridge and cleanliness. So far it's a no go, but when he's not home, the lights are staying off. The clothes are out to dry. The AC is off. The TV is off. The WI-FI is on.

Okay, it really is a challenge, and I can't do it, but maybe somebody else can take this to an extreme.

In the meantime, here's a quick list of ways to save money on your electric bill.

• Hang clothes to dry, rather than use a dryer.
• Eat an ice pop to cool off, rather than run the AC.
• But close that freezer quick or the heat will rush in.
• Play a board game, rather than watch TV.
• Turn the lights off when you're not in a room. It's a myth that it uses more juice to turn a light on and off than it does to leave it on.
• Use the grill. Tis the season.
• We.all know how I feel about dishwashers. Just fill your sink with a couple of gallons of water and scrub a dub dub.
• Skip brewing coffee. (I know, not possible for me either, but you'd save a couple pennies)

Just a few ideas to get your juices going. Mankind did survive thousands of years without electricity. The majority of the world still does.

I'd love to hear different ways to cut the electric bill, and if anyone can take the one week challenge! It's on my bucket list for sure.