About Save Household Energy

In June of 2008, our oil tank was nearly empty. Since we heat our water with an old hot water heater that was included with our 1966 ranch home we bought in 1994, no oil meant cold showers, and water heated over a campfire to wash dishes, among other things! So we filled the 260 gallon tank over 3/4th full. $1000! One thousand dollars to heat water! Immediately, I went into "survival mode" and started brainstorming on ways to be able to afford groceries, in addtiion to #2 heating oil. I built a solar-heated 20 gallon shower and several of my kids and myself use it daily. See the plans for the solar shower here - they are free! Also, I will be converting another one of our 4" exterior walls into a 6" wall. The info on that conversion is on this site too. And I am just getting started!

This site will chronicle all the energy-saving measures I have taken and will be taking. Ongoing reports will be featured on the Energy Blog, and new pages will be added to the site and new innovations are explored. So take a look at what I have, and make sure to visit often, since new items will be added. We need to all reduce our dependence on oil and fossil fuels. . . It only makes sense. Hopefully, this web site can help.

A little about myself: I am a father of 5, husband of 18 years, a handyman, nature lover, gardner, thrifty to a fault by nature, and have degrees in engineering and mathematics.

Michael Sakowski