Less power Scotty...

[JohnRoberts]

Several US utilities have reported an unexpected drop in electrical consumption that they can't explain. This has them concerned since they currently have capacity expansion programs in place that may be more than they need.

I know I am using less. What say you?

JR

 

[Gus]

Do you have a link(s)?

I have always used as little as I can.  I been unplugging things that can be unplugged and buying energy efficient replacement appliances when ever I replace them.  I bought a Kill A Watt EZ others have posted about this product in the past.

 

[bcarso]

I am probably not using all that much less in very recent times, owing to two busy computers and work areas (one for simulation, invoicing, and internet, one running the Ap at the test bench).  And when it gets really warm I have to run A/C both for my own comfort and to keep MTBF on equipment as high as possible.  In the winter I get by with a pretty low energy consumption as I have other apartment units on a couple of sides, and I also tolerate being cool better than some.  This is good because the only heat in the apartment is electrical.  When necessary I use the low surface temperature space heaters which are slow to warm but don't waste much on visible photons.

But in late 2004 I vacated 2600 square feet of office and lab space, and have been living and working in these cramped quarters ever since, thus cutting my proverbial carbon footprint substantially.  I go days at a time without driving my fair-to-middling-mpg Accord.  I also prepare virtually all of my meals, leading a number of restaurants to presume that I have disappeared or died.

I have tried on some CFLs for size as it were and still can't use them near the bench most of the time due to the EMI.  But where there are still incandescents, and I know I'm going to be needing their light just for a minute or two (looking for parts or for a book in some unlit area) I will often grab a flashlight, sometimes an LED one, to avoid thermally cycling the incandescents and leading to their premature failure.  I guess it all adds up.

 

[emrr]

In places hit hard by the housing crisis, utilities are experiencing loss of customers and decline in usage for the remaining customers.  But they expect sharp increases in demand over the long term, even factoring in aggressive conservation efforts. 

 

[JohnRoberts]

In places hit hard by the housing crisis, utilities are experiencing loss of customers and decline in usage for the remaining customers.  But they expect sharp increases in demand over the long term, even factoring in aggressive conservation efforts. 

The article I read said they factored in the current housing situation.

JR

 

[sahib]

Both at work and at home, lesser and lesser. Particularly after the rise in cost of gas and electricity. It has doubled since last year.

 

[Scodiddly]

Less at home - retired the noisy old desktop and got a MacMini, and put a couple more compact flourescents into play.  Cooler in the summer with less power wasted, which means less A/C needed.

No change at work, though I'd like to try to get people to turn stuff off more often.  Then again we've got some big single-pane windows which certainly don't help reduce heating costs any.

Maybe there's been a significant number of old CRT computer screens and TV's retired over the last year?

 

[josan]

I use electricity to heat but have upgraded my wood burning fireplace to supplement using hardwood ends from our furniture shop . My goal is a 50% reduction in 3 years. Solar for exterior lighting,low power appliances,foil type insulation etc.

Looking at our local utilities forecast paper it seems far more optimistic but unrealistic in its forecast. Within a two year period there
forecast could be 5% off, that is a lot of revenue.

 

[PRR]

Al Gore.

 

[owel]

I'm using lesser kwh.  The central HVAC has not been running as much as it seems to be colder and earlier this year than any previous year.  The other night, there was even light snowfall. 

But my electric rates have increased so I think I'm paying slightly more.  20 percent hike by TVA effective October 1.

It's frustrating... you lower your electric consumption, but the dollar amount you're paying is still the same or even higher.

 

[emrr]

Al Gore.

was he using THAT much?    ;D

 

[burdij]

Clearly our utility has realized it. For several months now, they have been "estimating" our electric and gas bills. I noticed that last month when I was billed for 48 therms of gas but I hadn't turned the furnace on yet!

They also managed to get a gas and electric (natural gas used to generate electricity, another scam) rate increase even though locally, the wholesale price of natural gas has been falling. They based this on last year's gas purchases at last year's wholesale rate.

 

[shabtek]

usage had dropped about 33% from previous years, until I had offspring and wife is now home all day--about 33% more than previous years.
mostly CFL in fixutes, but now got air purifiers on 24-7

 

[amorris@home]

I tell you what I have been using a lot less of is gasoline. And going out to restaurants.

 

[dale116dot7]

I have always been into conservation. Our home electrical use is less than half of our city's average - we're really careful about turning out lights, and we stopped using the clothes dryer. That has three positive effects. Less electrical power - by far. Clothes last longer. The inside air has more humidity. In Calgary, that's important, as here, a bucket of water is only 50%.  ;D I'm using much less gasoline, I use an electrically powered train (they buy their power from a wind farm), and a diesel bus, but I share that bus with between 20 and 50 others. I share the train with probably several hundred others. Yea, for me, gasoline is the biggest change. We keep our house at 15 degrees C most of the time (60 degrees F) which is a bit chilly, but a sweater is cheaper than gas.

People can be wasteful, and can learn to conserve when they have to. It was very easy to drop our gas bill by 25% and our power bill by 30% - we just had to make a few small changes to our habits.

-Dale

 

[sodderboy]

Good excuse to update my spreadsheet. . .
About the same, when accounting for tenants in our rental.  Our baseline is 500 kwh per month, the apt adds another 200 if occupied, and a hot or cold month will spike another 300-500.  Feb and Aug are our outlier months.  A few years back, I bagged a 350W HP tower that was on 24-7 running a DVR security system in favor of a self-contained DVR.  That saved 220 kWh per month alone! 
I hate those CF bulbs, everything looks so dingy, so I am waiting for LED to become more affordable.  I keep the house at 64 winter 74 summer, so no place to go there really.  Time to get rid of the 8 year old fridge.  I have not had it on the Kill A Watt yet, but it is making noise.
Mike