Utilities Usage and Graphing

About once a year I like to sit down and review my household energy usage and graph it out. For my household this means electricity, natural gas, and overall cost. Some folks might also include fuel
oil, wood and in some cases propane. I like to add a graph for overall cost, because often times the price per unit of the utility will change over time. Google Documents is a great free resource that is perfect for this kind of function, and it's what I use. This kind of activity is something I have often done. I think it's important to understand where your energy usage is so that you can better monitor your utility dollars and so that you can live a environmentally friendly life style. The first time I did something like this was 10 years ago: I filled out a PG&E survey listing our household appliances and energy usage and redeemed a refund for a new, more efficient, washer. My parents are still using that more efficient washer today. These kinds of budgeting activities can really help save money. And think of all the energy my parents have saved over 10 years by using the more efficient washer!