non-solar ways to cut electric bill?

We've got a 1400 ft^2 house in the Santa Cruz mountains with 1/2 acre of land and big trees all around. I can't picture solar being an option here, so I'm wondering what else we can do to reduce our electric bill, which currently varies from $90 to more than $150 per month, and averages about $130.

We've got a 280 gallon propane tank, but that just runs a small thru-wall heater in one bedroom and a stand-by generator, so it's only been refilled once in the last 3 years. Our monthly propane costs are minimal in winter and non-existent in the summer. We've got an electric water heater, electric range, small pellet stove (only heats 800 ft^2 of space), microwave, no AC, a bunch of electronic gadgets, and all lighting is LED.

Maybe I'm wrong, but by my calculations, there would not be a big savings from converting the water heater to propane. And we don't use the range all that much---we microwave more often than not. So, I'm at a loss as to how to reduce the bill. And my wife complains about it every time it's over $100, so I'd like to come up with something that would make a consistent dent in it...

What about alternator wind mills, don't know the science behind it. But it's an idea.

Gadgets add up, I've found, but it's hard to get the fam to shut them off. I heat with propane in a smaller house, the rest is A/C, I wish my bill was like yours. We are three here.

Look at your bill, I will bet over 50% of it is in transmission fees not usage.  PGE really gouges Mt residents ( I lived in Las Cumbres off 35 at Castle Rock).  Get a solar surey done at your place, they are ususally free by companies that want to sell you the gear.  The other thing you can do is to insulate the crap out of the attic, walls and crawl space to reduce heating costs.

I am a medical expert on the subject. I encourage you to turn things off. Or look for mysterious extension cords going to your neighbor's house. (Don't laugh, I've actually seen this twice!) 

For real though, IME there's a base cost that your electric bill can't go under. So you may only be using bare minimum electricity, and still get a high bill. Look at how many kilowatts you're using per month and compare it to various googlable charts to see if you're *actually* using a lot of electricity or not.

If getting rid of the electric water heater will save money is there a reason to not do it? Gas or electric clothes dryer?

Replacing water heaters before their lifespan ends generally will cost you more money in the long run. Spending a grand to save twenty bucks a year.

For all the electrical vampires-chargers, TV, computers, we put them on a timer. They're off during the day, but on at night. Had a fairly measurable impact. All those 3-10 watt trickles added up.

   OK,,,  mine was  about 80 / month.   I replaced the water heater coil about 6 months ago and in the process raised the thermostat setting slightly.  Water is much hotter, but bill went up to 100 / month ( high end ) ...   
    I run a hot tub, Refer,  Beer Keg,  Deep Freezer, and of course the water heater.   Only thing on propane is clothes dryer and  cooking stove.
   The water heater is by far the biggest user...     Propane is extremely expensive alternative.  I would not switch to propane for that reason.
        Years ago I discovered my gas water heater was set to pilot only for a three month period, before I realized it..  I'd been showering etc all that time.       That little pilot burning all day was enough to warm the water enough.
     Here's what you need to do.    Get a small propane heater that doesn't have the electronic pilot. Plumb it so that the water from the propane tank feeds your electric tank...      With the money you save, you can purchase a new G2 Raptor this spring ! 

       I suggested this to a friend who has 4 kids,, it cut his bill $ 70 per month.       I'd do it at my house, but the location makes it REALLY Difficult to vent the propane tank. 
     

$90 to $150 is a pretty wide range, especially when you consider the baseline charges that apply no matter how much you use. I would give some thought to what went differently during the high usage months. I bet that will help you come up with some ways to save.

City water or well?

If you have a well and a pressure tank of some sort, I bet the $150 months correspond with the well pump working extra to refill your tank.

 
     Here's what you need to do.    Get a small propane heater that doesn't have the electronic pilot. Plumb it so that the water from the propane tank feeds your electric tank...      With the money you save, you can purchase a new G2 Raptor this spring ! 

       

That is pretty damn clever Jim!
I agree that propane is not going to save you any money.
Hot water when the power is out is nice though.
Reaped that benefit this morning.

City water or well?

If you have a well and a pressure tank of some sort, I bet the $150 months correspond with the well pump working extra to refill your tank.

Say whaaaa?

I have a well, on its own meter.  The month to month rate changes only slightly based on water usage.  More water usage = higher electricity bill.  The rates do change a bit based on time of day the power is used as well as seasonal rates here too.

You talking electric meter, or water? I assume electric?

The variation in monthly cost from a well pump will largely depend on the type/size of water storage you have, and whether your tanks maintain a relatively stable water level or go through a drain/refill cycle.

You talking electric meter, or water? I assume electric?

The variation in monthly cost from a well pump will largely depend on the type/size of water storage you have, and whether your tanks maintain a relatively stable water level or go through a drain/refill cycle.

Ah, I see what you mean.  Yes, it would all depend on the float switch position & size of the water tank.  We have a dedicated meter for just our well & the machine shop (which is not being used right now) so I can monitor, relatively close, discrepancies in our water usage through the monthly electrical bill.  I do have a water flow meter as well.  Our tank is 2500 gal. I set the min/max float switches quite close to one another in vertical tank capacity so that the well runs shorter periods of time, but more often due to the declining water levels underground.  Just 7 years ago, I could run for hour upon hour with no problem.  Now, we can run about 5-8 minutes at a time & use 'Pump Savers' to monitor current draw.