Home electricity demands are falling

[kangofu]

Shocker: Power demand from US homes is falling
Source - AP News
Jonathan Fahey, AP Energy Writer, On Wednesday September 7, 2011, 3:01 pmNEW YORK (AP) -- American homes are more cluttered than ever with devices, and they all need power: Cellphones and iPads that have to be charged, DVRs that run all hours, TVs that light up in high definition

Comments

[tiddlywinks103]

Good article.

Another powersaver is unplugging your microwave, if you aren't using it.

[ericadawn16]

I do that!

Also, unplug all those chargers when not in use and I keep the biggest energy hogs on power strips I can turn on and off.

[kiri_l]

I unplug all the electronics unless I'm using them (oh and unplug the coffee maker unless iI need it early in the AM).

[romp]

I wondered if this might be one cause. I never heard of this idea before a couple of years ago--I understand NO ONE knows how much energy is lost from appliances simply being plugged in.

Edison's light bulb is being replaced by more efficient types of lighting

[evildevil]

See, see what Obama's socialist tree-hugging policies has done? What are the CEOs of electric power plants to do now once they are out of business? Damn you Obama!!!!

Re: Edison's light bulb is being replaced by more efficient types of lighting

[crossfire]

Bush is actually responsible for signing the ZOMG SOSHULIST LIGHTBULB CONSPIRSY law.

[mariechan]

I'm being told that the new light bulbs are quite poisonous though because they're full of mercury :S

[hinoema]

One CFL contains a hundred times less mercury than is found in a single dental amalgam filling or old-style glass thermometer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/070518-cfls-bulbs.html

When I was a kid, we had mercury thermometers, which broke on a fairly regular basis, and we all survived the experience.

Shocker:

[tiger0range]

Apple contains cyanide, you better stay away from those too.

Oh, and potatoes contain the same poison found in deadly nightshade. Stay away from those too (not to mention tomatoes, eggplants...)

Re: Shocker:

[crossfire]

Oh Solanoideae, how do I love thee, let me count the ways.

[fenris_lorsrai]

Electric cars may increase household spending, but are unlikely to overwhelm the grid if charged primarily at night. Utilities can only throttle back plants so much at night, so they actually dump a lot of it. pacific Northwest Laboratories did an analysis of excess power dumped at night. The entire US could convert HALF the car fleet to electric, today, and so long as it was charged at night, would produce no strain on grid. The Northeast has so much excess night capacity that it could convert 100% of passenger cars to electric.

[sophiaserpentia]

Great, so the 'reward' for doing all this energy efficient stuff is higher rates.

Also, this will hurt people of lower income who will be more slow to adopt newer, more efficient appliances.