Did I Save Electricity?

I was hoping for a noticeable drop in this month's electric bill after installing a new, and supposedly more efficient, refrigerator...and that's just what I got. The number of kilowatt hours dropped this year 27% from our 7-year average. Seeing that the new refrigerator is rated 20% more efficient than the old, I should be overwhelmed with the improvement. However, I'm curbing my enthusiasm.

Yes, this year's electric usage is below our average, but it's virtually the same as last year. We used the air conditioner maybe once or twice over the past month, and we must have used it even less last year. Last month, which wasn't a full month for the new refer, was down 10% from the average, but it was higher than the year before. Is this is an argument for the Smart Grid so I know I'm being Green?

Of course, you know the performance of any refrigerator is not measured by its energy consumption but more by how well the ice maker works. The new one is quiet enough, but each push of the Ice button produces a wide variety of cube output. I miss you, Amana.

Conflict in the Sink

I really hate it when the family dumps their dirty dishes in the sink. It makes the sink hard to use. However, I may need to soften my stand on sink-stashing because it is far less objectionable than those water-wasters who insist in washing the dishes before they wash the dishes in the dishwasher.

Letting some of your dishes "soak" under the water that normally goes down the drain eliminates the need for that wasteful "pre-washing". Let's not get carried away with this, only those dishes with some hard-to-scrape deposits will get the benefit.

So far, I haven't had to re-wash anything since I started to leave a few dirty dishes, usually the pots & pans, soak in the sink. Remember this is just for a day or less, not to sit in the sink all week. If I can prevent that wasteful 'pre-washing,' I'll accept the occasional dirty pan in the sink...just don't overdo it. It places a weapon within arms' reach.

Seeing Results May Not Help

I was really gung-ho about seeing the actual gas mileage I was getting on my new car. I thought it could be a big factor in using gasoline more efficiently. Now that the novelty has worn off, that MPG gauge is just one more number on the dashboard. There is little I can do in response to what the numbers say. It all comes down to the basics: Slower Speeds, Fewer Fast Starts , and Driving Sensibly.

It was, however, a good idea to get a more efficient car. Knowing that my old car is still out on the road reminds me that the benefits will not come until far into the future, but doing the right thing does eventually pay off.

Learning that the MPG meter doesn't help that much reminds me that we need to adjust lots of things as we move in the Green direction...there just aren't any fast fixes. Now I'm learning that telling our kids to stop the waste may be the best fix of all, but with the payoff farthest in the future. Yes, I'm hoping our kids will save us. So tell your kids what they should be doing. I know...it's easier than doing it ourselves. You've heard that one before?

Making Better Short Cuts

It seems that Green suggestions are coming from every direction, from an insert from my local realtor to filler in most magazines. So who needs a list of Green Ideas from Mountain Mom? Instead, I will focus on solutions for people who have problems going Green. My favorite is what to do If You Can't Go Green. Take the basics and make them even more basic.

Also, a few of you have taken issue on my Things That Are Not Green. I think it's the wording more than the idea. I'm trying to keep you from wasting you time or money. A Prius is not the only way to improve your transportation carbon footprint. Any move toward a more gas-efficient car is a big step. Just try to make it a 25% or more improvement.

Mom's here to help you get over The Green Wall.

Getting a Sweeter Refer

In a fit of patriotism I decided to replace our 12 year old refrigerator. We got some federal dollars and a manufacturer's rebate, but most important, the promise of reduced electric bills. A few years ago it wouldn't have made any difference because we have a minimum charge for electricity that we were hard-pressed to exceed. Now, we exceed it with ease.

In my own Green Tips, I claim the kitchen refrigerator as one of the top users of power in your house. Getting a new one just might pay for itself. Finding a fridge that makes everyone happy was not only difficult, it was more expensive than I wanted. Mountain Dad often complained about the dent in the old refer, but hey, it just added character. I admit, the clear packing tape that held the door together all these years was a bit tacky.

OK, it is nice to have a new appliance in the house, and one that saves kilowatts. I just wish I could learn not to bash my toes with the new, longer, more efficient door. There's more than one way to get Green.

Motivation Through Guilt

Yes, some of our Green motivation is through guilt. I’ve been out with the girls more than once when someone has said, “You mean you don’t recycle your batteries?” or the like. Of course my first thought is that I already do almost everything right. But I make guilt-provoking statements, too. After all, I’m already Greener than most visitors to this page.

So it was very reassuring to realize that my new car was producing much better gas mileage than the EPA would allow me to believe. After resigning myself to justifying mpg’s in the lower 20’s, I’m thrilled to be enjoying averages in the upper 20’s instead. This is with a vehicle that’s larger than the old one.

As the oil leak spreads across the Gulf of Mexico I can’t help but think that the days of driving oil-based vehicles are numbered. I hope to get at least 6 years out of every car I buy, but 10 would be even more gratifying. Will I be able to buy gas at any ol’ station, or will they switch to natural gas and battery charging? No matter, I’ll just be among the 12 million or so car buyers this year who will continue to be consumers of something to burn in our engines. It may be corn squeezin’s or Jack Daniels, it just depends on the price.

My point is, the world isn’t coming to an end and there is much hope in the incremental improvements being made by car and appliance manufacturers. Happiness is my slowly shrinking carbon footprint…and my waistline.

Cars That Help You Drive Efficiently

I was doing my research about my recent new car purchase and wondered about gas mileage. I was reading about the "Prius Effect" at SmartGridBuzz and thought, "How simple: if you know how much gas you're using as you use it, you can adjust your driving."

Little did I know there are a lot of other cars that also give you a good idea of how much gas, or electricity, you're using. My newly purchased car tells me both average and instantaneous gas mileage. I didn't think it would make much difference, but it has. It's inspiring to see that the new car, which is actually larger than the old, gets significantly better gas mileage, as long as I drive with common sense. And the mileage tool helps me do just that.

The instantaneous mileage readout tells me whether I should drive at 45 or 55 in the 45 mph zone to get the best gas usage. Some of the results are not surprising, but it sure helps to have a constant reminder. I'm now competing against the meter instead of the driver beside me. I'll pass him at the next gas station.