Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticLlama
I haven't read the whole thread yet, but this is the first thing I'd like to respond to.
According to my last power bill, I used 5,244 kWh in the past two months.
This is LESS than when we first bought the house 10 years ago.
The heat pump and water heater were replaced, the lighting changed mostly to LED, and the PCs/TVs/etc. all take a fraction of the power they did in the past. The car has basically brought it back to about what it was and is a little less than 20% of the overall power use.
I drive about 22 miles each way to work in heavy traffic, use my heater whenever I want, stomp on it regularly, etc.
If I were to add solar it would more than negate the car, but it's already no more load on the grid than it was 20 years ago in this situation.
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OK, that is good to hear. But the electrical grid is often maxed out in summer high demand times. TVs and appliances are more efficient, but now everyone in the family has a smart phone with a charger likely plugged in all the time. Most house have multiple TVs, security cameras, internet connected thermostats, and fridges.
No doubt people lost smarter than us are working on it.