While avoiding waste and conserving resources is a very good thing, the conservation lobby often exaggerates the pay off from conservation efforts. A case in point is a recent column in The Ottawa Citizen, in which Stuart Hickox of Project Porchlight suggested that Ontario residents who are facing steep increases in their hydro rates (See post Steep Increases Forecast for Ontario Electricity Prices) can cut their electricity bills by as much as $750 per year by taking half a dozen simple steps. Here are the six steps suggested in the column:
Stuart Hickox’s Six Steps to Saving $750 a year
1. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. Annual savings: $200
2. Eliminate vampire power from unused electrical devices. Annual savings: $200
3. Get rid of the old beer fridge. Annual savings: $120
4. Get a programmable thermostat from Hydro Ottawa’s Peaksaver program. Annual savings: $140
5. Lower the temperature on your electric water heater. Annual savings: $50
6. Switch off the dry heat function on your dishwasher. Annual savings: $40
Considering that the average Ontario household reportedly pays $1,330 on their electricity bill, it will be quite a feat cutting it by 56 percent. Take the suggestion to replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs. A typical CFL consumes about 50 Watts less than a comparable incandescent bulb (if you buy the claim that a 11 Watt CFL produces the same amount of light as a 60 Watt incandescent and not everyone does). Only a household that keeps 20 lights on for an average of 4 hours a day will see savings of $200. I’m going out on a limb here but exactly how many households are light up like a Christmas tree throughout the year?
