Compact Fluorescent – Enough Energy Savings Already

I traveled to the big city today, which is OK, because I like to visit big cities and because I had a seminar about energy to attend. I don’t think I would like to live in a big big city, or too near one, the smaller town with small town simple fits me better.

For about the second time in my life, I used valet service to park my car. Sure glad there was parking under the motel, because there sure wasn’t any parking on the street. Still can’t seem to get real comfortable with having some stranger drive off in my car. I can only assume that the stranger does not go through the car looking for prizes at some point. Anyway, got the car back at the end of the day and, as far as I can see, all my personal prizes too.

I like seminars, the information is mostly good, the chairs are generally comfortable and the food is tasty and sometimes free. Well. not really free if I had to pay for the seminar, but it tastes like it’s free because I don’t have to pay for it at the time. I also like the networking and general sharing of ideas. Might be the best part, the part where you get to talk to somebody you have not met before that has a similar job, but in a different part of the country. At this seminar, most of the attendees did not travel too far, but the trainers came from clear cross the States.

The training was focused on residential energy retrofits that would provide energy savings. After the first day- I go back tomorrow – I generally feel, that if I see one more pie chart pointing out that the average home spends 15 to 20 percent of their energy cost on water heating, I think I’m going to scream. Don’t know about you, but I’ve seen energy pie charts till I think I will favor cake from now on. I know it’s comforting to the presenter to have a power point with pie charts, but I am so tired of them. There has simply been too many.

Also, I don’t believe that advocating changing incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs should hold a prominent position in an energy seminar. Don’t waste my time. Compact fluorescent bulbs are old news. Go down to your favorite variety store and see what kind of bulbs are available. Looks to me like 95 percent of the shelves offer compact fluorescent. There is a compact fluorescent bulb made for every application, in or outside of your home, except the inside of the refrigerator. Pick out the best one for your needs, take it home, and save 75 percent over the incandescent bulb that you take out.

In the name of saving energy and saving money, count every light bulb you have in your home one by one. Is there more light bulbs in your home than you would have guessed? The average home has 45 light bulbs. There is no doubt, you can reduce your energy use and your electric bill by changing the bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. The other thing you can do is turn the lights off when they are not needed.

Thanks for letting me vent a little, I like seminars…now, go turn your lights off…

Don Ames, detectenergy.com