According to the Riot calculator here, the results for the items I tracked for the month of November 2011 follow for a household of 4 people:
transportation: 58.2 gallons + about 400 public transportation miles between school buses and the T, 29 % of US average
electricity: 392 kwh, 43 % of US average
heating/cooking: 59 therms, 72% of US average
The heating/cooking average has gone up considerably from last month, but we're moving into the cold months. I'm not even sure that a yearly measure is relevent here. How is one to compare heating therms here in New England where we'll use a lot more heat to warmer climates where more electricity will be used for cooling in the summer months? We've put up the storm doors and have closed off the TV room (the coldest room in the house over the garage) from the more heated portions of the house for the season. A programmed thermostat keeps the heat at 58 degrees overnight and between 61 and 63 degrees during the day depending on who's in the house and if it's time to get up and shower.
2 comments:
You're right, it doesn't make sense to compare your consumption for heating to that of a household in the south (or for them to compare their airco bills to yours). Still, it is worth having that measurement and even the percentage because next year December you'll be able to compare how you did this December.
For instance, it was great to see the difference when we put our wood stove in. We could measure the difference (always good).
What I'm more freaked out about is how climate change is speaking loud and clear in my Riot numbers. Today warmed up to 55F and next week we're looking at 60F again!
Yes, listening to news of the climate conference in Durban has been so scary. I'm looking forward to hearing Janot and Pablo's take. I liked your link to that town that produced 300% of their energy use. Amazing. Let's look into that further.
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