Reducing Energy Consumption: Do we have the power?

It is the 1st heat wave of the summer and my family is making do with our ceiling fans. We don’t have central air conditioning and though we usually put in 2 window units, we haven’t done so yet - the sudden heat catching us by surprise. Nevertheless, I’m happy to have some warmth in my bones since the weather has been rather cool and wet lately. If the current weather is any indication, keeping cool this summer will be a challenge for those people who cannot imagine life without air conditioning.

Considering that the price of home heating oil has now reached epic levels - $700+ fill-ups are the norm for those with the standard 250 gallon tank - the skyrocketing cost of fuel will also greatly affect the price of electricity needed to keep those air conditioners churning. The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has already raised the rates of the power supply portion of our electricity bill and further increases are expected. Therefore, according to their press release dated May 29, 2008, LIPA is proposing to allocate $140 million of a $213 million special fund (created when LIPA agreed to the KeySpan/National Grid merger) to reduce the burden of future increases in the Power Supply Charge over the next 30 months. This will amount to a $4 per month savings for the average ratepayer but these savings may evaporate quickly if fuel continues to rise.

While any savings, no matter how small, is welcome, short term solutions will only yield short term results. The cost of fuel is only one side of the equation. The capacity of the electric grid is already severely strained. We would accomplish more with a community-wide effort to reduce electric consumption thereby limiting fuel costs and easing the strain on the grid. After all, do we really need to cool our homes and buildings below 70 degrees in the summer and heat them up beyond 70 degrees in the winter? How many times have you had to reach for a sweater in the summer because the air conditioning was too cold? Or remove your sweater in the winter because the heat was too high? Will we ever give up our self-entitled comfort zone for the greater good? Now is the time to decide.