Macroeconomics
My energy use varied depending on the day. In general, heating oil is used, so this will increase on days that are cooler or wetter. Electrical reflects appliance usage for the most part. There is a baseline of electrical usage for things like lights, coffee maker and other daily essentials. Electricity usage spikes on laundry day in particular. There is a small solar component to the heating, providing heat for a couple of rooms. Auto gas reflects car usage, which fluctuates. There is a commuting baseline for five out of seven days, and so non-commuting days can see lower gasoline usage.
The local energy company uses primarily coal as its power source, but also makes use of a small percentage of nuclear power as well. The utility posts this information on its website. The different power sources are all outlined, so consumers can effectively understand the source of the power that they use, and make better power consumption decisions as a result of that information.
I was simply tracking my energy usage. If I wanted to make changes to my energy usage, however, this feedback would allow for that. For example, I would take fewer trips in my car if I ran errands on the way home rather than taking separate trips. I could probably ration my use of appliances and heat as well in order to conserve some energy. The more closely the energy usage is tracked, the better I will be at finding ways to reduce that usage.
Increasing energy efficiency can be done in a number of ways. Simply being cognizant of my energy use would be a good start. I tend to leave a lot of lights on, and be inefficient in some of my appliance uses. Knowing what energy use was necessary and what is superfluous is a good start. For example on many days the dryer is not necessary as clothes can be hung to dry. Lights can be turned off. I can also use other modes of transportation besides the automobile, such as using a bicycle for…
