Turn off  your hot water systems before you go cruise down the highway.  This goes for gas and electrical systems.  Even a Solar system if connected to a booster will still run stand-by power.  Your main hot water systems still run on standby keeping all the water in the hot water tank hot all the time you are away.  Gas hot water heaters are particularly hungry on standby as their flue exhausts straight up the middle and outside resulting in continuous heat loss.

With the Chrismas break coming up, so is the time of year to "consume".  Buying gifts and food can strain bugets when times are tight.  We suggest that you re-think the way shop and get ready for the festive break.  Shopping "green" will not only save a little of the planet, it's likely to save you money.  By being selective with purchases and by simply checking the power rating of your new DVD or TV all adds up. 

By the end of 2009, there will have been a 50% drop in the lifetime cost per kWh before subsidies of solar power, compared to the end of 2008 according to new analysis by New Energy Finance.  Photovoltaic prices across the board have continued their downward trend. Thin-film remains the low-cost leader in solar with projects as cheap as $3/W, making thin-film projects 25% less expensive than crystalline silicon systems on a levelized basis.

Note that some appliances are more difficult to calculate their power usage. Things like a fridge  draws a lot of power to start the compressor and reach its operating temperature, but little to maintain it. These kind of appliances are usually quoted as an average of Kilowatt hours per year. (In that case, divide this figure by 365 days for a daily consumption.)  Appliances like a computer draw power differently for different functions eg, browsing compared to watching a DVD. Even when on standby, it draws power. Consider using a power monitor to measure the exact power consumption of things like fridges and computers.