Did I leave the light on?

[Andy Hamilton]

Do you leave your computer on and go and do something else, or leave the lights on all over the house? I just popped downstairs and realised that I had left the TV on and the central heating has been on all day with no one in the house. Bad news really, here I am trying to suggest ways of saving the environment and I can be just as bad myself.

Thought that if I post this then it might remind some people to turn stuff off, then I can feel less guilty for doing the same myself.

Incidently a friend of mine insists that turning on a computer uses the most power, so it is better to leave it on if you are coming back to it. Can't find anything to justify that either way.

[Shirley]

I'm terrible with the computer thing. The trouble is that I start doing something on the computer - looking at various websites and then get called away to do something else. The computer is on pretty much all day long but if I was to turn it on and off every time I walked away I'd end up wasting lots of time - I have to do my stuff on the computer as and when I get the chance at the moment.

I do turn it off and switch off at the wall at night though and also if we are going out. Lights are always turned off as we leave a room - with a sing song 'turn the lights out - save electricity' sang with my little one who is 2 3/4. He reminds us to turn them off if we should happen to forget - and asks to eat organic stuff - he asked me for some purple organic sweets the other day lol... I googled and found some!! American though - I think the airmiles might be a little excessive

[Wombat]

G'Day Andy,

We have 12v lights, but appliances do get left on - I don't do it, I have kids who do that for me!

Nev

[Shirley]

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/you ... opic=10070 - this is an American site but it still talks about saving power... interesting bit about the screensaver at the end... I do turn my screen off when I leave my puter for a while although it does have a screen saver set up as a back up. I'm going to take that off again and use a blank screen instead.

I've also just set mine up to power down when not in use and go into sleep mode so that I don't need to close down and lose everything I was working on.

Thanks Andy - you've made a definite difference today and I'm going to share this tip with my boardies on going green.

[Chickenlady]

I spend much of my life walking around the house after my family turning off lights and various appliances and shouting at them all. I need to find a way to conserve my own energy...

I rarely have the heating on if I am at home during the day, but I have to admit that I did during the recent cold spell. There are only so many layers you can put on and still be mobile!

[Chickenlady]

Yey! 200 posts! Obviously spending far too much time on here!

[hedgewitch]

My boyfriend drives me insane. He is forever charging up his mobile phone then will disconnect the charger but leave it plugged into the socket!!!
AARRGGHHHHH!!!!

I put a big white sticker on the charger plug saying DISCONNECT!!!!
Sometimes he remembers and sometimes he doesn't!
But then he throws plastic and cardboard in the normal rubbish bin too, I get fed up of asking him to use the re-cycling bins we have so I just rifle through the bin and dispose of the items correctly. He's a bloody member of Greenpeace too!!
* there should be a smiley banging his head against a brick wall here!

[Millymollymandy]

We turn everything off and nag at each other if we forget, which isn't often these days as it's become second nature. It can be a pain going up and down the stairs turning the lights on and off especially with arms full of laundry etc. but we are keeping a beady eye on our electricity consumption and so far so good!

It helps that we are on a special electricity tariff whereby for most of the year you get half price leccy. In winter you get medium price days and then on the very coldest days the electricity price is astronomical. It's all colour coded and we find out from 4.30pm the day before what the next day will be. There are 300 cheap days, 43 medium days and 22 very expensive (9 times the price of the cheap day). We still have peak and off peak with this too.

It makes for being very vigilant and aware, for example if we are on an expensive day and the next is cheap, we turn off the hot water that comes on automatically at night and put it on for a few hours the next day when it is cheaper, because it is cheaper than the expensive or medium off peak price. Ditto dishwasher.

You have to be very organised though!

[shiney]

Saving energy is my aim of the year. I spend loads of time switching off lights after my kids. (it's a parent thing, I guess!)

My pc is on all day, but I try to switch off things that aren't being used. I love having the radio on, whilst I dream up the meals of the day, it's good to work to music.


I am sure I could use less and the monthly bill should start to drop a little. HOPEFULLY!

[wulf]

I can definitely understand having a computer on a lot of the time. I've got used to having my machines always on at work (and I mean always) because they're both developmental web servers and are hosting various projects that people need to visit as well as running nightly backups and other automated scripts.

My laptop stays on a lot of the time because I'm either using it or flitting in and out, with frequent checks for information. However, it's worth investigating the power saving modes on such devices - you can often set them to go into a hibernation mode where they greatly reduce the energy they consume but are still ready at the touch of a button.

Wulf

[Andy Hamilton]

hedgewitch

- (replace the semi colons with colons. it is ;banghead; )

M3 I don't think I could be that organised, that is until the bill came in

I guess it is also about simple stuff, not filling the kettle up over the required amount. Using the top oven (if you have one) if you are not making a full roast. And yes wulf hibernation on computers if you need to have them on.

Shiney - the radio uses something like a third less electricity than a television so if you are going to have something on then it could be worse. I keep intending to get one of those wind up radios. Also, if you listen to the radio and have your computer on all day, then do you listen to the radio on your computer?

Chickenlady - We sometimes have a duvet downstairs when curled up in front of the telly, cheaper than having the fire on!

Shilz, cheers for that link so just two seconds of computer time, ah now I can argue back with my friend. I will turn this thing off a lot more now that I know that.

Nev - strangley enough it is Dave who is the worst culprit in this house and he is suposed to be some kind of spokes person for reducing your carbon footprint.

[hedgewitch]

[hedgewitch]

Hee hee hee - I'm so easily amused

[Wombat]

It always seems to work like that, doesn't it Andy?

When you were doing your psych stuff, did you do anything about the work by Argyris and Schon - espoused values verses theory in action?

Nev



Hey! that is fun!

[Tigerhair]

I keep intending to get one of those wind up radios

Andy, I want one too - perhaps we could buy a few together to get a discount??!!! Now... where's that wall... after the day I've had!