Power Down with DMAIC

To reduce your electricity usage, try an engineer’s problem-solving method.

BY TOM ANDERSON

I

OFF

If your electric company has tiered rates, you’ll pay a reasonable price for a little electricity, a higher price for more — and a vastly higher price if you use too much.

To reduce my bill, I’ve started carefully measuring my household electricity usage, and trying different things to reduce it. I’m using the approach that’s taught to engineers, called the DMAIC process:

Define — state the problem to be solved Here’s how I applied the process to my problem. Measure — quantify the problem

Analyze — find the root cause of the problem

Improve — fix the problem and measure the results

Control — make sure the improvements are sustained, and detect new problems that crop up

Define.

I don’t want to pay the highest rate for electricity.

Measure.

I need a way to measure energy usage. I wanted to learn, for instance, whether an electric stove is

Illustration by Alison Kendall

52 Make: Volume 18