my homemade purse
See those lights on the fence this morning? I thought it a fun idea to have them on through the winter during bad weather — a bit of cheer for us and passersby. I've changed my mind.
Seems that the light bill is higher by a lot than ever before in Haven history. And for this we rewired the house? We're not sure, but we can't help but wonder about that smart meter that we're all being required to switch over to. Yes, this is the bill after the smart meter installation. I think it's a smart meter for the power company myself. Anyway, the lights outside went off this morning and will remain off until July.
In the meantime, I am gathering my stash for the Challenge at Quill Cottage. I told you all the 19th when, in fact, it will be the 30th. See sidebar for details.
tag stash
A delightful weekend to you!
My electricity bill keeps going up no matter what I do to economize. I have one of those smart meters also. The only thing that I see that it does is save the electric company manhours reading meters, so one would think that the bill would go down. But it is like taxes, NEVER goes down.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get by yesterday, but must comment on your post...
ReplyDeleteThat jake is a man of few words, and so cute.I can just imagine you and the new oven humming along.I prefer crunchy to soft. Molasses, and ginger snaps are my favorite cookies. Love the colors in your projects, seeing these makes me want to dig my needles out of the closet, which by the way haven't been used in a while.
Oh that purse I adore too,... As far as the smart meter, why do they call it a smart meter? Because it thinks it can out smart uS ~smile~
As always a joy to visit. Enjoy your weekend.
Hugs,
Sue
Smart meters are being installed all over BC and there is quite a bit of controversy. Do you have separate billing for different times of day? We leave LED lights up year-round along the veranda. I don't turn them on every night, but they're nice when we have company, or on birthdays etc.
ReplyDeleteYeah for found cookie recipes!
ReplyDeleteLove the colors of your purse...looking forward to August and seeing it finished :)
I don't know about these smart meters but everything is more expensive these days...
Deanna
Vee
ReplyDeleteDid you say August? You really are tired of that project!
It is so neat that our blogger friends can come up with answer to our problems-like your lost molasses recipe. It's a small world these days with such easy communication.
Not trying to change the subject, but have you had any difficulty in leaving comments? Yours is the only blog page that didn't come up blank for comments this morning?
NannaDiana is having the same problem. Has anyone heard what's going on?
I even tried to go to Quill Cottage from your site and got a blank page. Very strange indeed!
Have a wonderful weekend Vee!
The electric bill drives me nuts. I hardly ever turn on a light after the son goes down except for my bedside lamp and the television and it still is up there. I want the days when my grandmother walked to town two blocks to pay $6.00 for her light bill. Those people had it made.
ReplyDeleteOh my, that is a high electric bill. Just think what you could buy with $200. BUT, what would we do without it?
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the electric bill! Those lights on the fence were so cozy.
ReplyDeleteI am also having real trouble with my comments. They keep saying to download Google Chrome, but then I could lose my email and I use the computer for business. I've read lots of back & forth comments on it all, so I guess I'll just stay where I am till this computer dies. :(
Happy weekend Vee! :)
Yikes! Here's hoping we can keep our dumb meters in Oklahoma. Sorry you have to sacrifice your outside lights - they would add a lot of cheer through the winter.
ReplyDeleteMargaret
Our electric bill gets so high in the winter. Our house is way to big for two people....
ReplyDeleteI think your purse is turning out wonderful. I love the colors you are using!
Wow - ours was almost half that and we had a lot of electricity surging here at The Old Parsonage last month! Do you unplug your coffee pot, microwave, phone charges etc when you aren't using them? We started doing this about 2 years ago - not sure how much it saves though. Mr OP always says " You have to have your candles in the window all year though don't you?" I smile sweetly and say "yes:)"
ReplyDeleteI'm off to check out Quill Cottage.
thanks!
Leann
Oh my I hope they don't switch to smart meters here. I can almost smell those molasses cookies. I'm off to the kitchen to make a couple treats for my boys birthdays!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend.
Our ND winter has been passing over us and on to you...the heating bills, too!
ReplyDeleteThe outdoor lights are pretty and cheery. It would be fun to know if they really make that spike in the electric bill. Like you, I would be turning off anything that could be the culprit.
As I was cleaning the lazy susan this past week, I noticed an unopened bottle of molasses. I think it's been waiting there to make cookies. Molasses cookies are one of my favorites.
That can't be from those little twinkle lights on your fence! I would have the electric co. do a re-check. Maybe the numbers were estimated? Wouldn't hurt to check!
ReplyDeleteI hear everyone's electric bill went up, Christopher says theirs went up a lot and they are never home.
ReplyDeleteWe belong to a rural co-op, which seems to be a little better.
Our deck has lights wired into it and we ended up unplugging it our first winter here. It was pretty but not the way we wanted to use our electricity dollars.
Smart meter my... The city where I live switched over as well and everyone came unglued at the higher bills. of course there was some 'logical' explanation.. Makes me wish I lived outside city limits so I could get power from the co-op!
ReplyDeleteI keep lights up year round. We have a 'smart meter' and I was grateful last year when our bill did not change. We do average monthly billing because of such HIGH electric bills in the Texas summer heat here. Guess utilities are high all over. We pay nearly $300 every month for electricity. We heat with natural gas but seldom turn it on. It is better to be a little chilly than too warm in the winter and we don't get sick as often. But then again we live in Texas where it doesn't get nearly as cold as up north!
ReplyDeleteHappy Saturday to you and yours!!
Too bad about the electric bill but hope you are having a good day anyway
ReplyDeleteCute bag there.
ReplyDeleteSorrrrrrrrrrry about the electric bill. What is a smart meter, and why are you all required to switch to it??? Do I hear rumblings of a grass-roots-revolt coming??? In your neck of the woods?
Goanna' check with area people? See if they too, noticed a rise?????
Stay warm tonight, and tomorrow and tomorrow night.... ,-)
P.S. And no I don't know what my quote is about! LOL
"Smooth ice
is paradise
for those who dance with expertise."
~Friedrich Nietzsche
Your electric bill could be going up because the rates are going up. Thanks for the latest round of EPS regulations, utilities all over the country are in the process of shutting down their older fossil plants because it is cost prohibitive to retrofit technology to meet the new air emission limits. Folks can expect their electric rates to go up 30-40% in just the next couple of years. It's that hope-change thing going on...
ReplyDeleteYou would think that my fingers know a keyboard by now, with all the typing that I do. I meant to type EPA, not EPS.
ReplyDeleteYes, the power company visited us a couple of years ago with their Smart Meter. We got a similar bill. We had just updated our electric panel from fuses (we have an 40+ year old house). John has every light and lamp with the new compact florescent bulbs and recently spent a small fortune for LED outdoor sensor lights. It took six months for our bill to drop and finally level off, hang in there.
ReplyDeleteYikes..the electric bill! Let's talk about something else...
ReplyDelete...like your cookies! Hooray for finding your recipe...hooray for bloggy friends...hooray for the tempting aroma that is traveling from your kitchen through cyberspace and into my imagination! Yum!
just catching up on your posts and you have been very busy. Our power bills are up sky high here too. It's very frustrating! You've been trying lots of projects. I'd like to try making some fingerless gloves - we're expecting very cold weather next week...knitting or crocheting helps to keep a person's hands warm so i'll hunt for some patterns now.
ReplyDeleteOur smart meter is coming soon...and we'll see how smart it is. I'll let you know!
ReplyDeleteWe just had gingersnaps/molasses cookies for dessert...and I thought of you.
I wish I had some of your cookies tonight, Vee.
ReplyDeleteNice job on your new crochet bag --It looks nice and roomy.
Wow your electric bill was high! Mine was half yours. When we got a new refrigerator a few years ago we saw a big savings in our next bill. Perhaps you have an appliance that is not energy efficient?
That's a crazy utility bill! Ours is around $290/mo in winter but it includes all electricity, natural gas, water in, water out (sewer), garbage pickup, and recycling program.
ReplyDeleteDavid bought some solar lights (a little net of blue lights for a bush topper) and it charges during the day (for free!) and runs from about 6pm-9pm. The charge does not last long, but the little lights are lovely - they twinkle! And did I mention free?!
It is so nice having lights in winter. We keep our back yard lights up until Valentine's, just for depression prevention.
xo Terri
You forever crack me up. Oh that little illustration says it so well. I loved it when you wrote that it's a smart meter for the power company.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that one of your blogging friends found the recipe for you. I guess I am not the only one who loves you dearly. I can't wait to see what you create for the challenge.
A delightful weekend to you too!
Karen
Vee,
ReplyDeleteSmart meter, indeed. Posh!
I'll bet those cookies smell divine! Can't wait to hear the review!
I love soft molasses cookies, all crackly and sugary on top. Too bad they're not on my list of allowed foods at the moment. But there WILL come a day... Hope they were yummy!
ReplyDelete