We switch off the lights, turn up the thermostat, make improvements to our house, recycle like crazy, but are our habits getting worse?
An article in the March 1,2010 article of Time, Less is Actually More, by Bryan Walsh contends that 
just like someone who binges on diet food (thinking it has fewer calories, they eat more of it, thus negating the benefit), those of us who try to reduce our energy use sometimes get complacent. The theory goes like this: you check your electric bill and see that you are using fewer kilowatts than this time last year. The next time you walk by the kitchen and notice the blazing lights, you think,' gosh we have been doing so, well, what would it hurt to leave them on for now? I will be back in 15 minutes.' And the energy reduction 'backlash' begins.
I can see evidence of this in my own household. We have made some big changes: turning down the thermostat, switching off lights, added insulation in the attic and garage, new windows, plenty of blankets and sweatshirts easily accessible. As a result, I have seen definite improvements in our energy use. Of course, now that I have shared that success with my family, I have noticed that they have been more casual about switching off the lights. Even I have 'bumped up' the thermostat on occasion (and I am the Energy-Enforcer).
This article was a great reminder that these changes and behavior modifications need to become lifestyle changes. Just like dieting, don't cut back so severely that the change is not sustainable over the long-term. Smart choices, small changes and an awareness of energy use is what we all need to continue our steady improvements in reducing our carbon footprint--and an awareness of how easy it is to back-slide!
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Hi Holly. Interesting observation. We look at our electric bill carefully each month too. It's gone up a bit, probably because we bought a 42 inch HDTV and a dehumidifier. I've been trying to figure out where we can cut our useage back to make up for those new uses. Time to get a better blanket for the water heater and seal up some window cracks! www.oregonflorencerealestate.com
Thank you for your thoughts!
Great reminder and I hope all are doing thier share...
your friend in Charlottesville Virginia!
Hmmmmm, "The Energy Enforcer!" I love it and I know my kids will start calling me this as well. My wife always says "we don't live in a cave, turn on a light will you!".
Great post Holly!!!
I've also wondered about the energy it take to recycle. Now let me say that I AM going to continue to recycle. But, the other day I was washing out a plastic peanut butter jar. I was wondering if all the water I was "wasting" was worth trying to recycle that one plastic jar.
Furthermore, what are we going to do with all the batteries from the hybrid cars once they have reached the end of their useful life? Man, I hope "they" have a good plan because that's a lot of batteries and a lot of bad chemicals to dispose of!!!
Best wishes you Energy Enforcer,
Lewis
The Energy Enforcer is quite a title. My wife is the EE in our house. Just be careful, it can backfire. My wife nags me so much about the lights and heat it drives me nuts. I must admit to leaving stuff on sometime as my protest to all the complaining.
Yeah, the Energy Enforcer thing can also be interpreted as 'Nag Number 1.' Oh well, as I always say, pickand choose your battles!