Stoop Talk in New Orleans: How to Beat High Utility Bills

Sky-high utility bills can be a big issue for neighbors in New Orleans' Seventh Ward community.Ms. Bessie invites neighbors to get together in front of her house once a month to discuss questions like this in ATD Fourth World's Stoop Talk project. She added to the conversation that energy-saving light bulbs “don’t change a thing. The bulbs only last longer, that’s all, and [utility bills] are still high as hell!” We were reviewing notes from the local electric company's website.Ms. Bessie’s house is on the shady side of the street in the afternoon, a perfect spot to sit on the steps or in lounge chairs on the sidewalk in the front of the house she shares with her husband. Sipping on a cold drink, Ms. Bessie added, "When you hang your clothes outside it smells better--if I had a line. I don't have anywhere in the back to put one. When I was in the other house, that's all I ever did was hang my clothes up rather than take them to the dryer."Ms. Germaine, who lives next door, laughed in agreement: “My dog Tiger stopped that because everything I put up there he takes down. I'd use a clothesline in a minute. I still have my clothesline up, but I just don't use it because I'll have to hurt Tiger.”As part of a pilot program, Ms. Germaine once received a home energy-monitoring device from the energy company. She explained, “If I passed [the monitor], I could see how much electricity I was using. Sometimes when I looked at it, I said, ‘Wait, something's on.’ So I’d go around the house and say, ‘Okay. That's what it is.’ " It would also tell me how much my bill was going to be for that month.”Next we talked about when we remember to unplug appliances to save on electricity. Leaning against the railing of Ms. Bessie’s steps, Dee asked? “Do you remember during lightning storms when your mom used to go around and unplug everything?” Everyone was nodding, and remembering, and everyone was talking almost at the same time.Mr. Arthur shouted out from his seat next to Ms. Bessie, “Yeah, back in the days. Unplug the TV. Lighting could strike the TV quick.” Ms. Dee added, "I think these high electricity bills are kind of like big lightning storms.Just then the sky darkened and started threatening rain. Dee began to put away the “Stoop Talk in Progress” signs. Everyone grabbed a last bite to eat as they got ready to go. Once again, neighbors got together at the Stoop Talk to share practical ideas to make their lives better and work together on a common issue. Everyone was already looking forward to coming back next month: same time, same place to tackle a new issue and share a little bit more neighborliness.