10 Ways We Reduce Our Electricity Usage and Save Money in Retirement

 Our Two-Month Electric Bill Was Low!

890 pesos is $26 US per Month for Electricity!

(And, Yes, We Use Air Conditioning Some Every Day)

We live in Mexico year-round, traveling periodically. The cost of living here is lower than in the United States. But we still have to take steps to control our costs.

How do we keep our electricity costs down in our 1200-square-foot condo? Here's a list of 10 ways we reduce our kilowatt-hour usage.

1.     New Minisplit AC Units: Two years ago, we replaced all three six-year-old conditioners with LG Dual Inverter minisplits. Those super-efficient units decreased our kilowatt-hour usage significantly. The initial investment is already paying for itself.

Installation of a New LG Dual Inverter AC in the Bedroom

The Compressor Unit  was Installed Outside the Building

      2.   Adapt to Higher Temperatures: We set our air conditioner thermostat settings to 25°C (77°F) or 26°C (78.8°F), depending on the room. Or we turn them off depending on the month and time of day. We usually turn on the living room/kitchen AC for a few hours in the afternoon and the main bedroom AC at night. 

      3.    Change All Lightbulbs to LEDs: This makes a significant difference in our electricity usage. The initial cost of LED bulbs is higher, but well worth the investment. You will see the impact in number 10 below.

      4.    Open All Windows in the Morning to Cool the Condo. Close the windows once the inside temperature reaches 77°F.

      5.    Close All Curtains or Shades When the Direct Sun Hits the Windows. This reduces the heat gain inside the condo unit, decreasing the AC usage.

      6.    No Heater is Needed Here. Our condo is well-insulated, partly due to concrete construction and Thermopane windows. The lowest tropical winter temperatures at night in Puerto Vallarta are 55°F (13°C), but the inside temperature rarely gets below 72°F. If we’re cold at night, we add a blanket to the bed. During cool mornings, we wear warmer clothing until it’s warm enough to put on shorts and take off the sweatshirt.

      7.    The Range, Water Heater, and Clothes Dryer Run Off Gas. Gas is more efficient than electricity. This expense is included in our HOA Dues.

      8.    The Dishwasher is a GE Profile. It is a certified Energy Star dishwasher, which is efficient with electricity and water.

      9.     Turn the AC Thermostat Setting to 28 (82°F) When We Take a Trip. The air conditioner runs occasionally and helps lower the humidity in our condo, reducing mildew.

The CFE Bill Section That Shows Electricity Usage

10. Stay out of Tier 3 in CFE’s Electricity Usage. Tier 3 is called Excedente, which means excess use. Once your electricity usage reaches Tier 3, the kilowatt hour (kWh) price triples to 3.607 pesos per KWH.

We’re thrilled that we kept our Excedente usage to 102 KWH for the two-month billing period from November 23, 2023 through January 24, 2024. $26 US per month helps keep us within our budget! See more at OUR MONTHLY BUDGET LIVING FULL-TIME IN PUERTO VALLARTA—More Expensive Than Sayulita?

Read more in my five Healthy Living in Mexico eBooks about our last ten years as we traveled in and moved to this beautiful country. Available in all Amazon markets. FREE with KindleUnlimited.

If you missed my last newsletter, you can see it and Sign Up at Happy New Year, Lessons Learned, and eBook Sale. I invite you to follow my Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Facebook page.

      Cheers!

      Terry L Turrell, Author

Terry and Jon Celebrating in Puerto Vallarta