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| protecting the house from flooding with straw mulch |
I received my gas bill the other day for January. It had skyrocketed! I was pretty shocked. I normally pay about thirty dollars a month. If it's cold, I expect the bill to go up to about fifty dollars. This one was for seventy-three. Yikes!
I realized that I had been turning on the heat more often than I usually do. It's comforting to feel warm and cozy. I wear a flannel nightgown to sleep, and put on a red, twenty year old cashmere bathrobe each morning. Even though I sit on the couch with an alpaca throw in my lap, I like to take the chill off of the room by turning on the heater. I switch the thermostat to 70 degrees when I pad into the kitchen, which is usually very early in the morning. It's still dark, and the air is chilly. I love that time of the day. It's quiet and peaceful.
I realized that because of all of this rain that we've been having, I used my gas dryer a few times. Normally I hang all of my washing outside on the clothesline. It really does save money to not use the dryer. I'm glad that I have one, though. It's a thirty year old Kenmore, and is so reliable and dependable. We really needed the rain, so I am grateful. It has been plentiful and healing for the earth. The ground was so parched and dry for so long.
I have probably also been using more gas for cooking. I love to make bone broths and soups. I will do better with my usage next month. At least it's a small house. My dad said that his heat bill was something like $300.00! His house is much bigger than mine, and it has two stories.
Our street was like a river today. I drove over to Fox Feed and bought two bales of straw. I spread it out in front of the house to absorb all of that extra water. It acts like a sponge. I also put a heavy layer of it on the porch, so that my front room doesn't flood. If I don't do it, the water will come in underneath the front door, and the carpet will be soaked. It's an inexpensive but effective solution. Once the weather warms up again, I will rake it up and use it in the chicken coop and compost pile.
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I also expect my electric bill to go higher because of the cold temperature. I normally set mine to 71 even when I have layers of clothes on. 😊
ReplyDeleteI hope water won't get into your house, Stephenie.
Hi Nil, it's pretty warm where you live, from what I hear. I keep my thermostat set at 60 degrees most of the time. This house holds the heat well.
DeleteI'm sure that was a shock to receive a bill you weren't expecting to be so high! I love your idea of how to keep water out of your house. I might try this around the spot where our sump pump drains out. So much water after a rainstorm! X Chy
ReplyDeleteHi Chy, Yes, it was unexpected, but still worth it. The little things do make a difference. I hope the mulching works for you.
DeleteGood luck with the flooding! Hope it doesn't come inside.
ReplyDeleteThanks earthmotherwithin. As long as I lay down the straw, it soaks up the water like a sponge.
DeleteIt is a shocker when a bill is much higher than usual, we have a pay as you go top up system here so I can see exactly how much we have left and when I need to top it up, when its freezing cold there's not a lot we can do, we are very careful with any kind of consumption here, but we are not prepared to sit in a cold home.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Living Simply. I just like to be conscious of what I'm using and spending.
DeleteYour flowers look pretty. Your roof (previous post) is amazing! Maybe your upkeep is helping it! My gas bill was only $120 this past month, with snow and frigid cold (minus at night a couple of nights) and I cook with gas and have a gas fireplace and our house is at 73 degrees. So I guess our gas is cheaper here! Andrea
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea, It sounds like you get an excellent deal on your gas. I love those purple irises. They bloom twice a year. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI think it's worth the extra cost to be warm. There is very little more miserable than sitting in the cold. I had no idea that straw was such a good flood defence... I sometimes worry when the rain is really heavy as it pours down the street like a river... We have come close to being worried when it has been really bad. I will remember this useful tip.
ReplyDeleteHi Cherie, I think it's worth the cost, too. It really doesn't get that cold in Southern California, most of the time. The key with the straw is to lay it out before the water is rushing like a river, otherwise it will just float downstream.
ReplyDeleteLaying straw is a good idea. The rangers lay straw waddles throughout the river park adjacent to our house. We were shocked by the gas and electric bill last month until I remembered all the baking and extra cooking that I did for the holidays.
ReplyDeleteHi Anita, It's been colder this month in California. The air feels so different when things are damp. It chills you to the bone.
ReplyDeleteheating appliances are very expensive to run, have been enjoying some cheap power lately but recently bought an electric kettle & a toaster, my power bill will go up but i was going through my gas too fast.
ReplyDeletesounds like you need to put a drain in front of your porch so the water can run away; straw is a clever idea though & great in the short term, hopefully you don't get too much water
thanx for sharing
Hi Selina, I may put a short wall there eventually to divert the water. I like the straw for now. It has worked beautifully for twenty years.
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