So what are you doing to conserve energy during this heat wave????

[tomturbomatic]

John has family in Elkhart, Indiana. The power company offers off peak electric rates of around 3 cents a KW so they arrange to do electrical tasks then.

I read about an office building here that uses off peak electric rates to freeze ice in giant chillers in the basement and then air is circulated over the vats of ice to cool the building during the day. It also has sun shades on the outside of the building to keep direct sun from falling on the windows and heating the place faster. There are many things that can be done, it's just that the government, as personal representative of oil and commercial interests, has not had any interest in exploring the technology that would save energy.

 

[frigilux]

I've been sitting on my patio, drinking tumblers of Raspberry-Peach Iced Tea and shaking a stick at the neighbor kids.

 

[polkanut]

Our last electric bill was $72.41 from 6/5 thru 7/6. We also have an $8 monthly credit on our bill which WPS gives us for allowing them to cycle our central air on/off for up to 8hrs. per day during high demand days. We also have time-of-use on our account which gives us a discounted rate from 8pm to 9am weekdays, and all day Sat. & Sun.

 

[toggleswitch]

No more wire-hangers..... ever

er... I mean no more pre-rinsing. LOL

This link may eventually disappear or change automatically.

Loading…

living.aol.com

 

[Cybrvanr]

it's just that the government, as personal representative of oil and commercial interests, has not had any interest in exploring the technology that would save energy.

I am trying to figure out why, or even how the government would have influence towards, or away from what people choose for energy technologies. It's simply not their responsibility. In a capitalistic economy, which the USA is, what is used (and abused) is soley based on what we will buy and sell to each other. It is not the government's job to develop new products and place them on the market...that is the job of private business. Right now, private business is selling wasteful technology based on fossil fuel, instead of innovative, efficient ones. Why are they doing this? BECAUSE *WE* BUY IT!!!! Businesses only sell what makes money, and right now, wasting energy makes money. It is not the job of the government to change the market, it is up to us, as individuals to do this in what we buy and how we do it.

Yes, the government can set regulations, and they can make tax incentives for the purchase of existing technologies, but this does not solve the problem. It only raises the price of products and reduces the quality. It also artifically creates a market that is paid for soley by taxpayers. I am all for saving can conserving energy, and I use many energy efficient technologies around my own home, like a solar hot water system, and compact fluroescent lamps. These however are choices I made.

If we really wanted to get off of oil, the government maybe could rip up all the tax-subsidized SUV-clogged interstate highways, and replace them with high-speed rail lines!

...sorry, but I am libretarian, because I have never seen ANYTHING the the United States government get involved in ever achieve it's goals...besides this is supposed to be a FREE country!!!

 

[frigilux]

HEY TOGS!! Thanks for the 'real simple' link. An hour of brow-furrowing calculation leads me to the conclusion that the electric company will owe ME $42.73 at this time next year, LOL!

 

[Cybrvanr]

sorry to get on a soap-box here guys. I just think it's up to us to solve our energy problems, not the government...just take it easy on the resources so I'll have some still around for my kids and their kids to enjoy!

 

[polkanut]

Update to Post #147478

Just received our electric bill in the mail today. From 7/6 thru 8/4 our bill jumped to $99.99. We used 871kwh @ $0.10101 per kwh. But we also had a credit on our bill because of WPS being able to cycle our a/c on and off during peak demand times. Just thought you might find this interesting.

 

[appnut]

Just got mine, $154.54 with 1084 kwh. cost is 0.1425 per kwh!! Last year's usage was 1061.

 

[compactc9]

We just got our bill

It was $130 with about 1350 KwH. That was with never letting the house get over 73*. I would be dying if it was 77 in here.