These last few weeks have been a bit hard! Some days it feels like I am going backwards rather than forwards. Don't get me wrong, I am still trying, but the realities of life sometimes catch up with you even when you have the best intentions in the world.
I have had to higher the thermostat for the hot water, I realised I was probably pushing things a bit too far when my two year old son uttered the word 'cold' when he got put in the bath. Poor little man!
I have also had to give up on walking to the weekly ballet class. It caused so much stress and frustration, because we literally had to walk straight from school to the leisure centre at a reasonably fast speed, and after a whole day at school this was just too much for a 5-year old. It always ended in tears and didn't really make for a good family experience. With changing the clocks it would now also be dark when walking home, which wouldn't exactly help matters. So we have started taking the car. This way my daughter has time to sit down for 10 minutes and have a snack between school and ballet. Now she is not completely exhausted, we don't have any tears and altogether we have a nicer afternoon.
The thing is that I have been extraordinarily busy lately and that isn't helpful for the green agenda. Generally I find that the green options require a slightly higher level of planning and often a little more time. If you want to avoid excess food in the fridge you need to plan out meals very carefully. If you want to cut down on processed food it might take a bit longer to cook the dinner. If you want to walk rather than take the car you need extra time. When you are really busy that becomes difficult. Tonight we ended up with fishfingers for dinner, something we haven't had for a long time, but I simply hadn't had time to think about the meals and do the shopping in advance.
What should I do? My situation isn't exactly unique, most families are probably facing the same issue. I am still full of intentions, I am still motivated, but I am not superhuman and I can only do so many things in a day. Obviously we are still more green now than 3 months ago, because we have learnt a lot in this period and that is not going to change - but how do you fit in green priorities when life gets really busy??!
I haven't figured out the answer yet. Maybe I need to go on a meditation course or read a self help book? No, probably not - that would just take up even more of my time! Maybe I should give the project a rest for a bit and just be happy with the progress made so far? But that wasn't really the point, I still want to do this and I still have improvements to implement. Maybe I will just carry on the best I can and take heart from the fact that other people actually care about this as well.
Recently I have had people telling me that not only do they follow my project, but it has encouraged them make one or two changes in their own lifes. I think that is great. Not because I think I can be the saviour of the world, but because it makes me feel like I am not being stupid. I am not wasting my time, I am basically doing stuff that most people find sensible enough to copy.
On a similar scale my best friend in Denmark just send me an early birthday present: a climate cooking book. This book has just been published in Denmark (probably a date specifically chosen to coincide with preparations for the climate summit in Copenhagen in December...) and besides from recipes it has information about all sorts of climate change related stuff. It made my day to get this book. Not just because presents are nice, but also because it is lovely to get support for the project, and then of course it seems to have interesting information in it. So to finish this entry off here are a couple of things I have come across in the book so far:
-Boiling water in the the kettle before putting it in the pot can save energy, but only if you have an electric hob, no real saving is made if the hob is gas.
- Excess packaging is actually not the biggest issue on the waste front in relation to climate change, wasted meat and dairy products are far more serious
-Locally produced food are not only better because less transport is involved, but they have a higher content of vitamins etc, because they get to ripen naturally.
Interesting stuff. So many things to consider, when you are trying to do what is right...
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Tuesday 20 October 2009
Motivation
I just read on Sky news that the Advertising Standards Agency has received more than 300 complaints about a government ad telling people that if we don't get our act together now our kids will suffer the consequences of climate change. Obviously a quite hard hitting ad playing on the fear of all parents that their children will end up unhappy.(http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20091020/tuk-outrage-over-drowning-pets-climate-a-45dbed5.html)
According to the article most people complained about the scientific evidence used, but the rest simply thought the ad was too scary...
I haven't seen the ad, so I can't comment on the science used (and I probably wouldn't have a clue anyway...), but the fact that some people find it too scary probably says a lot about the general attitude to our Planet. We don't really want to know. I certainly would rather live in oblivion! What is the Government thinking bringing this day of doom message right into our living room, just when you've sat down to relax in front of the telly? No wonder people are complaining.
Unfortunately the message is true - all signs are pointing towards a bleak future if we continue the way we are going at the moment. The question I am asking is what exactly are we expected to do? This is not me trying to run away from responsibility, but I would like some clear guidelines, how much do I personally need to do? I am trying to do what is right, but I am struggling to find out exactly how much is enough. What is the point in scaring people if you are not offering any solutions?
I wish somebody could tell me that if I do x,y and z, then things will probably turn out OK in the end. But unfortunately this is not the case. I think we need more information we can relate to at a personal level. Having a smart meter in the house was a hundred times more effective at changing my habits than 20 energy saving campaigns, because the smart meter gave me information related directly to me. Generic information is exactly that - generic, and therefore very easy to dismiss as not really relevant to me.
The parts of my project that have been the most successful are the ones where I either save money or don't have to do much. I am much better at saving energy now, because I can actually see it on the bill. I do my washing at 30 degrees, because it makes no difference to my daily life at all. The parts where I struggle more is where a real change of habit is needed - that takes a different level of determination (which I don't always have).
Maybe I need to think about my arguments for doing this. Am I trying to save the planet for the sake of my children? Am I doing this to feel better about myself? Am I just being a good citizen listening to the Government? (Probably not...). Am I really looking to save money rather than the Planet? Did I just want a subject for a blog? I am not sure, maybe it is all of them.
One thing I am sure of is that if the Government or anybody else for that matter really wants to help us change our habits then they need to help us find our personal motivation. They can dish out all the information in the world, but if they can't get people motivated one way or another it is all a complete waste.
To keep myself motivated I bought a fridge magnet the other day. It has a foolproof argument:
Save the Earth - It is the only planet with chocolate!
According to the article most people complained about the scientific evidence used, but the rest simply thought the ad was too scary...
I haven't seen the ad, so I can't comment on the science used (and I probably wouldn't have a clue anyway...), but the fact that some people find it too scary probably says a lot about the general attitude to our Planet. We don't really want to know. I certainly would rather live in oblivion! What is the Government thinking bringing this day of doom message right into our living room, just when you've sat down to relax in front of the telly? No wonder people are complaining.
Unfortunately the message is true - all signs are pointing towards a bleak future if we continue the way we are going at the moment. The question I am asking is what exactly are we expected to do? This is not me trying to run away from responsibility, but I would like some clear guidelines, how much do I personally need to do? I am trying to do what is right, but I am struggling to find out exactly how much is enough. What is the point in scaring people if you are not offering any solutions?
I wish somebody could tell me that if I do x,y and z, then things will probably turn out OK in the end. But unfortunately this is not the case. I think we need more information we can relate to at a personal level. Having a smart meter in the house was a hundred times more effective at changing my habits than 20 energy saving campaigns, because the smart meter gave me information related directly to me. Generic information is exactly that - generic, and therefore very easy to dismiss as not really relevant to me.
For action to happen we need arguments we can understand and a belief that the target is achievable. I started this green project completely voluntary, and so far it has not been just plane sailing. I still have days when the state of the planet comes very far down my list of priorities. I have times when I feel it is a never ending spiral and there will always be something else I can do to be that little bit greener. On those days I would rather the Government gave me some incentives to get my act together, rather than scaring me with grim pictures of the future. I would like some happy stories that showed me that it is worth the effort.
We are all comfort creatures and I think we are much more likely to listen and to act if we can see easy ways of doing stuff. Things for example would be looking great in Scotland, if we could help the planet by drinking beer!
The parts of my project that have been the most successful are the ones where I either save money or don't have to do much. I am much better at saving energy now, because I can actually see it on the bill. I do my washing at 30 degrees, because it makes no difference to my daily life at all. The parts where I struggle more is where a real change of habit is needed - that takes a different level of determination (which I don't always have).
Maybe I need to think about my arguments for doing this. Am I trying to save the planet for the sake of my children? Am I doing this to feel better about myself? Am I just being a good citizen listening to the Government? (Probably not...). Am I really looking to save money rather than the Planet? Did I just want a subject for a blog? I am not sure, maybe it is all of them.
One thing I am sure of is that if the Government or anybody else for that matter really wants to help us change our habits then they need to help us find our personal motivation. They can dish out all the information in the world, but if they can't get people motivated one way or another it is all a complete waste.
To keep myself motivated I bought a fridge magnet the other day. It has a foolproof argument:
Save the Earth - It is the only planet with chocolate!
Monday 12 October 2009
Small steps are OK
I had quite a shock this weekend! I was explaining my green project to a friend and she asked me: 'so what are you doing to become greener?' Uhm... After a few panic stricken moments I came up with: I wash the clothes at 30 degrees, we are vegetarians 2 days a week and we lowered the thermostat on the boiler. Not exactly an impressive list!
For a moment I had the feeling of complete failure, am I in fact not really doing anything? It sounded a bit silly to say we take all glass to the bottle bank, because we did that before as well, saying we have signed up for online billing isn't exactly a major feat either and I can't claim to grow my own vegetables, because our carrots are the size of overgrown peanuts and the beetroots are only tops and no root.
My lack of answer to the question was even more disturbing, because I have now become involved with the local climate challenge group and I feel I spend a lot of time thinking about environmental issues at the moment, yet I had no decent answer. (This involvement with the Climate Group is one of the reasons for the lack of updates on this site as well, apologies to you people who faithfully check in on a regular basis).
The thing is that when you get put on the spot you want to be able to say big things like 'we have had solar panels installed' or 'we sold the car and only use public transport' or 'we converted the garage to a mini wind power station using a tricycle, an old sheet and 20 metres of organic cotton string...', but I had nothing like that to say.
It got me re-evaluating the whole project again, and I realised that being green isn't just about the big things, it is just as much about taking responsibility for your everyday actions. The main difference between now and then is my attitude. Before I would often leave the light on in the living room when going upstairs to put the kids to bed, because 'I am coming back down again shortly'. Before I would only occasionally walk to the shops rather than take the car. Before I would just grab the most convenient pack of veg in the supermarket without fully considering if we would be able to use it all up. I don't do that anymore!
I have become so much more aware of my actions. Yes, I still use my car, but I use it a lot less than I used to, and when I do use it I try to drive it in a fuel efficient way. We obviously still use electricity, but I make a very conscience effort to not use more than necessary. I always look at how much water is in the kettle before switching it on. I don't leave anything on standby and I know which kitchen appliances are the most energy consuming. I try to make sure I use up stuff in the fridge before it expires (try is the key word here...) and rather than thinking about putting in 1 fruit tree in the garden I am planning 2 or 3 and couple of berry bushes. I wipe my sons face with a washable flannel instead of disposable wipes, and my daughter's sandwich goes in a reusable paper bag rather than cling film.
None of this sounds like much, and there is still ample room for improvement, but I am heading in a direction rather than staying on the same spot.
I do hope that one day we will have solar panels and a garden that is full of useful stuff rather than weeds and miniature vegetables , just as I hope we will be nicely insulated and having a primarily vegetarian diet, but the fact is that small things matter as well. My actions won't have much of an impact on the level of CO2 spewed out in Scotland, but they do have an impact on how I think.
So next time somebody asks me what I am doing to become greener, I shall say something like: 'I am changing my habits gradually and I am taking responsibility for my actions. I don't do anything extraordinary, because most of us know what we should be doing, my bid to be green is to actually try and follow some of the advice that is given and not just leave it at good intentions.'
For a moment I had the feeling of complete failure, am I in fact not really doing anything? It sounded a bit silly to say we take all glass to the bottle bank, because we did that before as well, saying we have signed up for online billing isn't exactly a major feat either and I can't claim to grow my own vegetables, because our carrots are the size of overgrown peanuts and the beetroots are only tops and no root.
My lack of answer to the question was even more disturbing, because I have now become involved with the local climate challenge group and I feel I spend a lot of time thinking about environmental issues at the moment, yet I had no decent answer. (This involvement with the Climate Group is one of the reasons for the lack of updates on this site as well, apologies to you people who faithfully check in on a regular basis).
The thing is that when you get put on the spot you want to be able to say big things like 'we have had solar panels installed' or 'we sold the car and only use public transport' or 'we converted the garage to a mini wind power station using a tricycle, an old sheet and 20 metres of organic cotton string...', but I had nothing like that to say.
It got me re-evaluating the whole project again, and I realised that being green isn't just about the big things, it is just as much about taking responsibility for your everyday actions. The main difference between now and then is my attitude. Before I would often leave the light on in the living room when going upstairs to put the kids to bed, because 'I am coming back down again shortly'. Before I would only occasionally walk to the shops rather than take the car. Before I would just grab the most convenient pack of veg in the supermarket without fully considering if we would be able to use it all up. I don't do that anymore!
I have become so much more aware of my actions. Yes, I still use my car, but I use it a lot less than I used to, and when I do use it I try to drive it in a fuel efficient way. We obviously still use electricity, but I make a very conscience effort to not use more than necessary. I always look at how much water is in the kettle before switching it on. I don't leave anything on standby and I know which kitchen appliances are the most energy consuming. I try to make sure I use up stuff in the fridge before it expires (try is the key word here...) and rather than thinking about putting in 1 fruit tree in the garden I am planning 2 or 3 and couple of berry bushes. I wipe my sons face with a washable flannel instead of disposable wipes, and my daughter's sandwich goes in a reusable paper bag rather than cling film.
None of this sounds like much, and there is still ample room for improvement, but I am heading in a direction rather than staying on the same spot.
I do hope that one day we will have solar panels and a garden that is full of useful stuff rather than weeds and miniature vegetables , just as I hope we will be nicely insulated and having a primarily vegetarian diet, but the fact is that small things matter as well. My actions won't have much of an impact on the level of CO2 spewed out in Scotland, but they do have an impact on how I think.
So next time somebody asks me what I am doing to become greener, I shall say something like: 'I am changing my habits gradually and I am taking responsibility for my actions. I don't do anything extraordinary, because most of us know what we should be doing, my bid to be green is to actually try and follow some of the advice that is given and not just leave it at good intentions.'
And hopefully I won't get too many of my friends asking, because if I have to say that kind of stuff too often I will probably end up with no friends at all!
Tuesday 6 October 2009
Winter is coming
Autumn is definitely in full swing now! This weekend was seriously windy (the kids trampoline flew across the garden and landed in my vegetable patch squashing my poor pumpkin plant), along with lots of rain and rather cold temperatures. It was a strong taster of what lies ahead, and a check on how winter proof our new house is. Not very - there are a few issues!
Unfortunately it seems that making your house warm is one of those things that you can’t do on the cheap.
Although our house has double glazing, nobody (including the surveyor) picked up before the purchase on the fact that some of the windows seem to have been recycled from a different property. Obviously recycling is a good idea, and usable windows should not be thrown out, but quite a few corners seem to have been cut when putting these ones in. Some of the windows have no seals, other windows have handles missing, some have a hole where the ventilation grid should be and some just don’t seem to fit together properly. Hooray! We have obviously known this for some time, but because it has been summer it hasn’t really been top of the priority list, but this weekend really proved that we have to do something.
Step one has been temporary measures along the line of putting duct tape over missing vents and around very drafty windows, but not exactly the most effective draft proofing. Step two was to have a look at the net and in the DIY shop for something slightly more appropriate, but as we are not exactly experts in double glazing it became rather pointless, we have no idea what shapes the seals should have or how to fit vents and the manufacturer of the handles appears to have gone bust. Step three was to phone some double glazing repair people to come and have a look, but when I explained the problems to them they sounded far from optimistic and suddenly were very busy - so couldn't come till end of next week sometime. Step four - well either we will be very lucky and the guy actually turns up and is able to fix it very cheaply... (ha,ha,ha) or otherwise we will have to stock up on duct tape and wrap up warm for the winter. Unfortunately changing all the windows is just not possible, putting in new double glazing is so expensive!
All these drafty windows also led us to look at the insulation of the house. My husband found a couple of unused insulation blankets in the attic which is good, but some areas of the house could definitely do with improvements on that front. Insulation unfortunately is not cheap either. Although the Government is pushing for people to get better insulation for lots of good reasons, the grants they are giving just don't cover people like us. The grants are primarily aimed at elderly people and people on benefits, but there is no section for a pretty standard young family of four, who at the face of it should have money as we have an income, but in real life are quite short on cash.
There are lots of organisations promoting home insulation and endless calculations of how much you can save in the long term by insulating your home, but you still need to come up with a fair amount of money to begin with. If you try to google alternative ways of insulating your home, lots of innovative high tech solutions come up (e.g. insulation material made from Soybeans or recycled plastic bottles), but nobody seems to have come up with some really clever cheap ideas, like using empty loo rolls or old books or something. I briefly got my hopes up when I was looking in some inspirational home magazine from IKEA, which happened to have a green theme, and in an interview some Swedish guy said 'you have to think creatively, for example we have used old newspapers for insulation'. It sounded like a great idea, but as IKEA didn't tell you how to use newspapers I went on the Net again to investigate. That quickly stopped my insulation plans. Apparently by using newspapers you are not only creating a haven for rats and other lovely creatures, but also dramatically increasing the fire risk. Not a good idea then!
So right now it looks like we are headed for a cold winter (better tell Santa, that my kids would like new fleeces for Christmas...). When I first started this project I suggested that being green always requires either money or effort, and so far it looks like insulation is something that can only be done with money. No amount of effort I put in can insulate our house at a low cost, I can't grow my own fibreglass matting or make window seals out of cardboard. The only cheap heating we have at the moment I think is our exercise bike - we will just have to take turns at pedalling away...
Unfortunately it seems that making your house warm is one of those things that you can’t do on the cheap.
Although our house has double glazing, nobody (including the surveyor) picked up before the purchase on the fact that some of the windows seem to have been recycled from a different property. Obviously recycling is a good idea, and usable windows should not be thrown out, but quite a few corners seem to have been cut when putting these ones in. Some of the windows have no seals, other windows have handles missing, some have a hole where the ventilation grid should be and some just don’t seem to fit together properly. Hooray! We have obviously known this for some time, but because it has been summer it hasn’t really been top of the priority list, but this weekend really proved that we have to do something.
Step one has been temporary measures along the line of putting duct tape over missing vents and around very drafty windows, but not exactly the most effective draft proofing. Step two was to have a look at the net and in the DIY shop for something slightly more appropriate, but as we are not exactly experts in double glazing it became rather pointless, we have no idea what shapes the seals should have or how to fit vents and the manufacturer of the handles appears to have gone bust. Step three was to phone some double glazing repair people to come and have a look, but when I explained the problems to them they sounded far from optimistic and suddenly were very busy - so couldn't come till end of next week sometime. Step four - well either we will be very lucky and the guy actually turns up and is able to fix it very cheaply... (ha,ha,ha) or otherwise we will have to stock up on duct tape and wrap up warm for the winter. Unfortunately changing all the windows is just not possible, putting in new double glazing is so expensive!
All these drafty windows also led us to look at the insulation of the house. My husband found a couple of unused insulation blankets in the attic which is good, but some areas of the house could definitely do with improvements on that front. Insulation unfortunately is not cheap either. Although the Government is pushing for people to get better insulation for lots of good reasons, the grants they are giving just don't cover people like us. The grants are primarily aimed at elderly people and people on benefits, but there is no section for a pretty standard young family of four, who at the face of it should have money as we have an income, but in real life are quite short on cash.
There are lots of organisations promoting home insulation and endless calculations of how much you can save in the long term by insulating your home, but you still need to come up with a fair amount of money to begin with. If you try to google alternative ways of insulating your home, lots of innovative high tech solutions come up (e.g. insulation material made from Soybeans or recycled plastic bottles), but nobody seems to have come up with some really clever cheap ideas, like using empty loo rolls or old books or something. I briefly got my hopes up when I was looking in some inspirational home magazine from IKEA, which happened to have a green theme, and in an interview some Swedish guy said 'you have to think creatively, for example we have used old newspapers for insulation'. It sounded like a great idea, but as IKEA didn't tell you how to use newspapers I went on the Net again to investigate. That quickly stopped my insulation plans. Apparently by using newspapers you are not only creating a haven for rats and other lovely creatures, but also dramatically increasing the fire risk. Not a good idea then!
So right now it looks like we are headed for a cold winter (better tell Santa, that my kids would like new fleeces for Christmas...). When I first started this project I suggested that being green always requires either money or effort, and so far it looks like insulation is something that can only be done with money. No amount of effort I put in can insulate our house at a low cost, I can't grow my own fibreglass matting or make window seals out of cardboard. The only cheap heating we have at the moment I think is our exercise bike - we will just have to take turns at pedalling away...
Friday 2 October 2009
Smart meters
Smart meters are a revelation! I finally got round to sorting my library card and I was then able to borrow a smart meter for 3 weeks. We have had it set up for 5 days now and it is almost turning into an obsession watching the figures go up and down.
I have trailed the smart meter all over the house testing out how much it affects our electricity usage to switch on the lights, work on the computer, make a cup of tea, have the lights on in the fish tank, hoover and all sorts of other things. It is fascinating.
I have made some interesting discoveries. Switching on one energy saving light does not create a massive spike (as expected), however using the oven, the microwave or the kettle is very energy intensive. To my surprise some things aren’t really that bad, e.g. having the laptop on or doing the ironing. Obviously nothing should be left on, if you are not using it, but having the oven on longer than absolutely necessary is a lot worse than forgetting to switch an energy bulb off.
Just to illustrate here are some examples:
When everything that can be switched off is off the energy usage is about 0.05kW. Some things like the fridge, the freezer and the pump for the fish can’t really be turned off, so there is a level of permanent energy use. If we switch on the main light in the kitchen, which has an energy saving bulb the usage goes up to 0.06. If I switch on the light in the bathroom, which has a complete overflow of lighting including 4 halogen lights usage goes up to 0.13kW
Using the normal electric oven means an increase of an amazing 1.92 kW, but using the fan assisted oven is even worse at 2.28kW. (Yes, I am one of the very lucky people, who has a range cooker that includes 2 ovens. In fact I have an incredible selection of kitchen gadgets, if only my cooking skills matched my collection of kitchen ware, I would be heading right for Master Chef...). The grill on the other hand 'only' uses 1.61kW, so now I know that using the grill in stead of the oven might sometimes save me energy.
Putting the TV on causes an increase in the energy usage of 0.08kW, and interestingly enough having the TV on standby has an energy usage of 0.02kW. Think about that - the lowest level of energy use would go from 0.05kW to 0.07, just by having the TV on standby. That is the same increase as if we left two energy bulbs burning all the time. Thankfully we are in the habit of switching the TV and various connected boxes off at the wall, but I hate to think about the money we have wasted in previous years leaving stuff on.
Charging a mobile phone is at the same level as switching energy bulbs on, but making a cup of tea is very energy intensive, it has shown increases of up 2.59kW to put the kettle on. It makes you think twice about how much water you are boiling. You can buy an eco kettle, that only heats the amount of cups you need (I think is has two chambers or something and loads a measured amount of water from one chamber into the other chamber that then heats the liquid???), but just looking at the water level indicator is a good start.
Anyway I should probably switch off my computer now and then sit and watch the figures go down on the smart meter by 0.01kW. Who needs entertainment, when you have a smart meter to watch...
I have trailed the smart meter all over the house testing out how much it affects our electricity usage to switch on the lights, work on the computer, make a cup of tea, have the lights on in the fish tank, hoover and all sorts of other things. It is fascinating.
I have made some interesting discoveries. Switching on one energy saving light does not create a massive spike (as expected), however using the oven, the microwave or the kettle is very energy intensive. To my surprise some things aren’t really that bad, e.g. having the laptop on or doing the ironing. Obviously nothing should be left on, if you are not using it, but having the oven on longer than absolutely necessary is a lot worse than forgetting to switch an energy bulb off.
Just to illustrate here are some examples:
When everything that can be switched off is off the energy usage is about 0.05kW. Some things like the fridge, the freezer and the pump for the fish can’t really be turned off, so there is a level of permanent energy use. If we switch on the main light in the kitchen, which has an energy saving bulb the usage goes up to 0.06. If I switch on the light in the bathroom, which has a complete overflow of lighting including 4 halogen lights usage goes up to 0.13kW
Using the normal electric oven means an increase of an amazing 1.92 kW, but using the fan assisted oven is even worse at 2.28kW. (Yes, I am one of the very lucky people, who has a range cooker that includes 2 ovens. In fact I have an incredible selection of kitchen gadgets, if only my cooking skills matched my collection of kitchen ware, I would be heading right for Master Chef...). The grill on the other hand 'only' uses 1.61kW, so now I know that using the grill in stead of the oven might sometimes save me energy.
Putting the TV on causes an increase in the energy usage of 0.08kW, and interestingly enough having the TV on standby has an energy usage of 0.02kW. Think about that - the lowest level of energy use would go from 0.05kW to 0.07, just by having the TV on standby. That is the same increase as if we left two energy bulbs burning all the time. Thankfully we are in the habit of switching the TV and various connected boxes off at the wall, but I hate to think about the money we have wasted in previous years leaving stuff on.
Charging a mobile phone is at the same level as switching energy bulbs on, but making a cup of tea is very energy intensive, it has shown increases of up 2.59kW to put the kettle on. It makes you think twice about how much water you are boiling. You can buy an eco kettle, that only heats the amount of cups you need (I think is has two chambers or something and loads a measured amount of water from one chamber into the other chamber that then heats the liquid???), but just looking at the water level indicator is a good start.
Obviously this is just how things look in our house and for our appliances, but it is a strange feeling all of a sudden to know exactly how much energy you are using, and there just might be days, when I would prefer to forget this information. Christmas Day for example, when I usually have absolutely everything on in the kitchen, not to mention christmas lights and all the other stuff. Suddenly Christmas becomes expensive at a different level.
Actually I think I might be turning into a bit of an energy geek. When setting up the smart meter you have the option of entering the rates you pay, that way it shows you the actual cost of the usage. So looking into all this really got me thinking about the rates we are paying and the best way to be set up. This sounds really boring, but I sat down and calculated how much it would have cost us if we had been on some of the other rates and hey it turns out, it doesn’t really make any difference. If I change to the rate that has a standing daily charge then electricity will be about £15 cheaper, but gas will increase by about £10, so overall not a huge benefit. I really should know it by now – the utility companies have lots of clever people working for them figuring all this out, so the chances of me out-smarting them by changing rates are not very high. But at least I did the calculation, so now I know for sure.Anyway I should probably switch off my computer now and then sit and watch the figures go down on the smart meter by 0.01kW. Who needs entertainment, when you have a smart meter to watch...
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