I am the self-proclaimed Energy Sheriff here at Hacienda Hill. I have carried this badge-less title for years. I want a badge! LOL It is a thankless job but someone has to do it. Actually, I would be rolling in the dough if I had even a nickle for every light switch I have turned off that someone else has left on!
At this moment in time there are 44 light bulbs used in our home on a daily basis. Yes, I counted. Bear in mind, that in multiple bulb fixtures, we do not have bulbs in every available space. For instance, the master bath fixture over the mirror has space for 8 vanity globes, we have 8 in place but only use 2 of them. The other 6 are unscrewed just enough not to come on. The overhead light in here does not even have a bulb in it so it was not included in the light count. There are several light fixtures in our home where we cut back on bulbs in actual use, so 44 is a conservative number. Imagine, 44 bulbs used daily times 365 days a year...that's 16,060 bulbs in use, spinning the meter....boggles the mind. Screams out for an Energy Sheriff, doesn't it?
Ceiling fans and free standing fans are a constant source of aggravation for an Energy Sheriff. Make note of the following: Fans cool PEOPLE, not Rooms! A fan spinning in an empty room is cooling no one! Fans cool people because they move the air over our skin. No people in the room, no skin to cool. Fans running without people to cool are merely spinning the meter needlessly; major pet peeve for an Energy Sheriff. Leaving the room for even a short while, turn the fan off! It only takes a second to turn off and another second to turn back on once you return. If that sounds like too much trouble for you, maybe you should read the light bill over once more.
We had family/guest last weekend. The 7 year old boy asked why the TV wasn't on when they came in after a day of playing tourist. I explained I wasn't watching TV so there was no need for it to be on. He looked at me like I was crazy. Some people need something on all the time, TV, radio, something to fill the air space around them. Me, I need quiet. I play some upbeat music while cleaning house to get the juices flowing. Housework just seems less like work to me when good music is playing but I do not need noise all the time. I think too much for that. I have plenty of things going on inside my head to keep my mind occupied, I do not need external noise. If you do, then play them but monitor whether or not you are leaving them on when you are not paying attention to them. Picture yourself as the Energy Sheriff of your home and walk around turning off all extraneous energy wasters. Your peace of mind and your checkbook will thank you for it.
Phantom energy users are those things that use electricity even if they are not running. The clock on the stove is an example. You can literally walk in the dark through our living room and kitchen area just guided by the number of little red and/or green lights on the various objects using phantom energy! The internet is on whether the computer is in use or not, so the boxes governing that are blinking, the microwave and oven have the timers/clock lights on, the power surge protectors that everything is plugged into has their little red lights on, the laptop has a white light that blinks all the time it is plugged in, DVD player, digital converter box, antenna rotor and TV even have lights on all the time. The cordless hand-held phones each have blinking lights, the clock on the coffee pot is on all the time....all running on phantom power whether in use or not! Egad!! It looks like a landing strip at an airport walking through here in the dark! We can reduce that some by turning off the power strips.Others we are simply stuck with, making it all the more important that we conserve where we can!
One area of concern for me is the location of the thermostat for our A/C unit. It is across from the front door!! This time of year makes it almost impossible to keep the wooden door open because it causes the A/C to kick on. It feels the heat from outside before any other area of the house and BAM! A/C kicks on regardless of how cool the house actually it! Poor design there. The view from my desk is cut off when that door has to remain closed.
There is more involved when we work to conserve energy than helping our light bill but that is a major issue in our hot Texas summers. Every little effort helps and makes a difference. It requires a mindset change to start being the Energy Sheriff and your family may get very tired of hearing about it ( mine did & do) but we are all responsible for life on planet earth and the things we do today impact the issues our grandchildren will deal with. A simple life is one where we control our environment, rather than it controlling us! Step up and make the changes necessary to be in charge, become an Energy Sheriff, be tough now to be happy later!
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