Hello all,
Last week I posted some ideas to get you thinking about ways to enjoy the outdoors without spending a lot of money. This week I’ll tell you a guaranteed way of saving money and even add a bit of conserving resources to it.
Now I’m asking that you don’t confuse me with environmentalists. It just so happens that conservationists and environmentalists have some common interests. However that is a topic for another day.
In recent years there has been much talk about changing the motor vehicle to reduce our energy dependency. In addition to hydrogen-fueled cars, (what the Hindenburg used) many people are lobbying for electric vehicles. In addition to the extra energy needed to produce and dispose of these vehicles and their batteries. Where do you think the electric is going to come from? What do you think is going to happen to your utility bill when all of these vehicles put extra strain on the power grid? Saving gas to spend double or more for electricity doesn’t sound like an answer to me.
We put in energy star appliances and compact fluorescent bulbs, yet the power rates still go up. Adding electric cars. Do we really believe that’s going to save the consumer money? Maybe there’s more we can do.
After giving this some thought, I realized the amount of electricity it takes to run our lives.
Come to think of it, we seem to waste huge amounts of power on light. Most appliances draw electricity even with everything off, but the lights are on. Clocks lit on TV’s, radios, microwaves, stoves, coffeepots, VCRs and DVD players. Outside we have spotlights on houses and landscaping. Newer subdivisions have to have a yard light on all night. Schools and businesses have lights on all night inside and out. Even parking lots are lit up like sports stadiums. Don’t even get me started about places like Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
Homeowners changing bulbs sure doesn’t offset this.
My question is, Why? Just shut them off.
People survived thousands of years without all of these lights.
We have to pay for our home electricity, and then pay taxes and higher costs at stores, schools and businesses so they can pay their utility bills. Tell them to shut them off.
Think keeping them on all of the time is cheaper. This was debunked on the Discovery Channel show "Mythbusters" episode 69. Unless you're coming back within 24 seconds, every type of light uses less power when shut off and turned back on.
You keep them on for security... Buy motion lights. They only turn on when needed.
It's a pain to mess with all of the cords... I put my TV, VCR and DVD player on a power strip. One switch shuts them off.
All this light is costing us, and in more than one way.
Next week: Shutting off lights and Ancient Greece
See you ‘round the campfire