My analogy
#1
09-05-2005, 03:15 AM
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Atlanta, Ga
Posts: 1,797
My analogy
Whenever it comes up, I tell people that they don't need a hybrid to get substantial
savings.
Sometimes they comment:
1. They don't want to change their habits.
2. It doesn't make that much difference anyway.
3. See how you drive in the Right lane.
To respond to those comments I've come up with an analogy.
Living in a subdivision, the house next door is identical to yours.
A new neighbor moves in.
You notice a few things about their odd behavior.
The first thing is all the lights are left on 24 hrs. He plants two 5K watt spotlights illuminating the front, another in his back yard but places a large container over it to stop the beam. You notice the light escaping from the bottom edge.
How strange, especially with the looming electricity shortage.
Your neighbor is a friendly one and invites you over.
You notice it's freezing cold inside for AC units in every room.
Faucets are left running, flowing down the drain.
He complains about the rising cost.
"This good sense home is costing me a fortune. I keep the lights on because they look nice and I don't want to look cheap. I know we have zero crime but lights are a deterrent.
Besides, I'm doing my reasonable part to conserve.
I keep a heater running in two of the air conditioned rooms to raise the temperature to 78.
I also keep the light in the back covered to hold the energy in.
I'm doing the all I can." He says.
They usually agree the neighbor in the story isn't making sense.
I continue:
A year later I moved to another location.
The first night I couldn't sleep for all the light.
Almost everyone had spotlights and house lights burning all night. Some had 6 10K watt lights in their front yard shining like great pillars into the sky. Larger. More powerful than the others.
Perplexed, I noticed only one dim spot in the whole city. My own house.
One day the neighbor invited me over to visit.
They doubted changing habits would save much, and they needed the lights on for one reason or another.
Besides, they felt it necessary to "Run with the pack, do the normal thing".
Going home and refusing to follow their error, you found more ways to save. You spend a little more on fluorescents, turned off appliances etc.
You compared notes with other people who lived just fine in the dimmer houses.
YOUR energy bill went down substantially.
Next month the electricity cost rose and people began to complain more loudly.
To your dismay, more of those lights began to be covered.
Your neighbor complains he has already doing all he can but haven't seen much savings.
He can't understand why you continue to keep your house dim.
They think it's the house that's saving you money.
Some consider you "Extreme".
I explain that this parallels habits and attitude toward automobiles and fuel, and using the heaters and light covers represent an untrained driver.
If I tell it in story form it seems to get their attention and asking questions.
Anything to add?
savings.
Sometimes they comment:
1. They don't want to change their habits.
2. It doesn't make that much difference anyway.
3. See how you drive in the Right lane.
To respond to those comments I've come up with an analogy.
Living in a subdivision, the house next door is identical to yours.
A new neighbor moves in.
You notice a few things about their odd behavior.
The first thing is all the lights are left on 24 hrs. He plants two 5K watt spotlights illuminating the front, another in his back yard but places a large container over it to stop the beam. You notice the light escaping from the bottom edge.
How strange, especially with the looming electricity shortage.
Your neighbor is a friendly one and invites you over.
You notice it's freezing cold inside for AC units in every room.
Faucets are left running, flowing down the drain.
He complains about the rising cost.
"This good sense home is costing me a fortune. I keep the lights on because they look nice and I don't want to look cheap. I know we have zero crime but lights are a deterrent.
Besides, I'm doing my reasonable part to conserve.
I keep a heater running in two of the air conditioned rooms to raise the temperature to 78.
I also keep the light in the back covered to hold the energy in.
I'm doing the all I can." He says.
They usually agree the neighbor in the story isn't making sense.
I continue:
A year later I moved to another location.
The first night I couldn't sleep for all the light.
Almost everyone had spotlights and house lights burning all night. Some had 6 10K watt lights in their front yard shining like great pillars into the sky. Larger. More powerful than the others.
Perplexed, I noticed only one dim spot in the whole city. My own house.
One day the neighbor invited me over to visit.
They doubted changing habits would save much, and they needed the lights on for one reason or another.
Besides, they felt it necessary to "Run with the pack, do the normal thing".
Going home and refusing to follow their error, you found more ways to save. You spend a little more on fluorescents, turned off appliances etc.
You compared notes with other people who lived just fine in the dimmer houses.
YOUR energy bill went down substantially.
Next month the electricity cost rose and people began to complain more loudly.
To your dismay, more of those lights began to be covered.
Your neighbor complains he has already doing all he can but haven't seen much savings.
He can't understand why you continue to keep your house dim.
They think it's the house that's saving you money.
Some consider you "Extreme".
I explain that this parallels habits and attitude toward automobiles and fuel, and using the heaters and light covers represent an untrained driver.
If I tell it in story form it seems to get their attention and asking questions.
Anything to add?
Last edited by Hot_Georgia_2004; 09-05-2005 at 03:54 AM.
#2
09-05-2005, 09:01 AM
Re: My analogy
On the topic of outdoor "security" lighting, I recently replaced my 15w CFL outdoor bulb with a 2W one. While it doesn't light up the whole yard or anything, it's right by the front door and still does a fully adequate job of lighting up everything within a good 15-20 feet of the front door, which is all I really cared about anyway. At 2 watts, it's virtually free to leave it on all night. Just another example of going out of your way to make the smart, efficient decision, much like you wish more people would do.
https://www.greenhybrid.com/share/image485.html
https://www.greenhybrid.com/share/image485.html
#4
09-05-2005, 01:59 PM
Re: My analogy
I see this behavior every day on the freeway. Last couple of days with everyone complaining about $3++ per gal for gas, they're still going 75-85mph in their UAV's (urban assault vehicles) and PU trucks......dahhhh....It's pedal to the metal for all...why? Because 99% of all other drivers are doing it. As long as they don't bother me in the right lane I'm happy.
#5
09-05-2005, 05:40 PM
Re: My analogy
Most people are just ignorant. Nothing education can't overcome, but most people just have NO idea how much speed and aggressive driving affects their mileage. They operate on the popular myths, such as "my car gets better mileage on the highway so that means the faster I go, the better off I am" and whatnot.
As soon as you know the truth of the matter, especially involving the antique EPA tests and how speed really affects mileage with realtime consumption (or FE in the US) meters people will be much more likely to adjust their behaviour, but until such a time it's hard to imagine 'mainstream USA' really getting the picture.
As soon as you know the truth of the matter, especially involving the antique EPA tests and how speed really affects mileage with realtime consumption (or FE in the US) meters people will be much more likely to adjust their behaviour, but until such a time it's hard to imagine 'mainstream USA' really getting the picture.
#6
09-05-2005, 06:06 PM
Re: My analogy
Nice analogy H_G.
Nice 2W bulb AZCivic; I'll look for them.
A long time ago when I was poor and compact fluorescents were $18, I went through my apartment to compare the wattage of the bulbs to the light needed -- hallway got a 25W incandescent, reading lamp and kitchen light got compact fluorescents, etc. The dimmest light before this process was a !00W incandescent! I think I saved over 1 KW (when they were all on, which of course they never were).
In my new house, I usually have only a single floor lamp on (white walls and white cathedral ceiling) and it's 55W -- darn, I thought it was a 25 W, maybe I'll have to start using one of my battery LED headlamps instead
.
Where I live it is cold and windy. The potential savings in heating oil are greater than in gasoline. The house is very well insulated, but I can save a good amount of heating oil by improving weatherstripping (it's very windy here), adding insulating shades, etc. And of course, insulating myself top and bottom.
--Walter
Nice 2W bulb AZCivic; I'll look for them.
A long time ago when I was poor and compact fluorescents were $18, I went through my apartment to compare the wattage of the bulbs to the light needed -- hallway got a 25W incandescent, reading lamp and kitchen light got compact fluorescents, etc. The dimmest light before this process was a !00W incandescent! I think I saved over 1 KW (when they were all on, which of course they never were).
In my new house, I usually have only a single floor lamp on (white walls and white cathedral ceiling) and it's 55W -- darn, I thought it was a 25 W, maybe I'll have to start using one of my battery LED headlamps instead
.Where I live it is cold and windy. The potential savings in heating oil are greater than in gasoline. The house is very well insulated, but I can save a good amount of heating oil by improving weatherstripping (it's very windy here), adding insulating shades, etc. And of course, insulating myself top and bottom.
--Walter
#8
09-05-2005, 09:36 PM
Re: My analogy
I converted a desk lamp to run on solar power from my 15 watt panel and a little sealed lead-acid battery (from a UPS) using 20 LEDs from a string of 35 LED xmas lights that quit working. The lamp now consumes just 1.2 watts. 
http://intdata.homeip.net/gallery/misc/IMG_2042
http://intdata.homeip.net/gallery/misc/IMG_2043
http://intdata.homeip.net/gallery/misc/IMG_2042
http://intdata.homeip.net/gallery/misc/IMG_2043
#9
09-05-2005, 10:47 PM
Re: My analogy
On the subject of bulbs, here's a link to the 2w I have and I also have about 6 other styles I've purchased through that website. I might do a review at some point. Some of them are VERY nice, and at least one pair was definitely... lacking... in the quality department.
