I just got home and checked the mail.

We do not owe any money this month to DTE Energy for our electric bill.

There’s actually a credit balance of $45.67 on our account.

How did I do that?

A year ago, I signed up for DTE Energy’s “budget wise billing” program. We have used that program off and on for electric and natural gas bills. But when we moved to our current home in 2004, the utility companies wanted an actual 12-month cycle to use as a baseline.

We haven’t put our natural gas bill back on the budget billing program yet, but I did get on the program for the electric bill.

Anyway, this billing cycle was based on usage when three people lived at home (instead of two) and there was higher use of electricity all around.

• College kid has since gone to college (she was also away from home for much of summer 2007 working as a camp counselor). She’s not an electric hog, but usage of cooking and laundry appliances does vary based on the number of people at home.
• I’ve installed CFL light bulbs in most of the interior light fixtures.
• I’m not using the electric garage door as often. I’m parking on the street now when I’m in and out during the day; and parking in the garage only when I’m home for the night.
• I unplug my cell phone wall plug when I’m not actively charging the phone.
• Air conditioning is a MUST in our house. We can’t pick up enough breeze because of the orientation of the house to rely soley on natural cooling. But I usually turn on the system to fan-only before resorting to A/C. And on the hottest days of the year, we usually close the drapes to keep out the sun.
• It’s possible we don’t have the television on as much during the week. I like the TV chatter when I’m home by myself, but my husband will leave the TV off if there’s nothing he plans to watch.

What can you do to keep your electric bill down?