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From the Library Shelf:
Proud Co-Founders of Transition Town High Wycombe
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Household Appliances
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Those of us in the
affluent suburbs of the rich Western/Northern countries decorate
our homes with all kinds of labour-saving gizmos. Now that
production has moved out East the prices have tumbled. Now even
the 'poorest' home might have a washing machine and DVD Player.
The use of electricity-driven household appliances is spreading
around the world. Whilst the poorest in the World may only dream
of a washing machine many now have access to a TV of Fridge
within their communities - even if this means a trip to a local
medical clinic or community centre.
Hence we should
value these things, in our homes, far more than we do. We don't,
in fact they are disposable. In some ways this is a good thing -
because we are probably going to have to replace a lot of them.
Technology marches on. So many of these gadgets now consume far
less energy than before. Big savings can be realised.... |
The Powerdown Challenge
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 Between 1995 and 2002 electricity use in the home rose by
1.7% per year. Whilst buying more energy-efficient
appliances may seem like a great idea there are a few things
to consider first. Firstly - shopping is never an answer.
Increasing consumption is part of the problem. Plan the
phase out of dated & inefficient appliances at the end of
their natural lives. Energy efficiency should not be the
latest fad or fashion accessory - the subject of idle boast.
It is essential and forever. Replace products in the context
of cutting out your need for them in the first place. The
cheapest way to reduce your energy consumption is to use
your appliances less often and to minimise standby losses.
Choose smaller devices not bigger ones.
Secondly, weigh
up the costs and benefits. They tend to be known for larger
appliances but often indeterminant for smaller appliances.
Do not drive long distances in your hunt for the perfect
appliance or spend forever window-shopping. Choose it off
the web and get it delivered. Choose something made locally over products imported from overseas. Don't forget the
'embedded' carbon in both the appliance and the act of
buying it.
Finally, some
say that 'efficiency' is an illusion. If we save some money
using an efficient appliance then we take that money and
spend it on ANOTHER appliance. Hence we use it to consume
more, not less. However, this is not a function of
efficiency,
it is a function of affluence and price. Both
fields of thought have their very scientific sounding
formulas and theorems. Either way ensure that you purchase
is associated with a NET drop in Power usage. Always
obsolete your original appliance. If you have too much money
then we suggest you invest it. |
What difference can it make?
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Replacing your
old dishwasher can save up to 40% on energy usage. Likewise
the modern washing machine not only saves a considerable
amount of water but will also reduce energy requirements by
30%. How about the Fridge? Impressively replacing your old
Fridge will save you a massive 60%. Replacing your Tumble
Dryer could save you 40%. A new Kettle saves 33%. You'd save
20% on a new TV. A new Desktop or Laptop Computer will
consume 50% less. However, beyond that, many smaller appliances have not
changed significantly over the years. Modern Entertainments
devices such as DVD Players and Games Consoles have seen
little combined net change in energy consumption. This maybe
because of the expanding power of Game Consoles means their
Energy needs have sky-rocketed over the years to offset any
gains in other small devices. |
How do I know what to buy?
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Good question!
The EU has come to the rescue in Europe with an legally
required Energy Labeling system that many of us will be
familiar with. Look for the "A Rated" Appliances by checking
the colourful rainbow Energy guide stuck to the front of the
appliance. Also check out the online buying guides published
in various places such as sust-it.net and the Ethical
Consumer website. Your biggest drains on power are your Tumble Dryer, Fridge
and Washing Machine. If you optimise these three - or find
an alternative then that is a good start. The next most
energy intensive device is your Television. Those old
Cathode Ray Tubes gobbled down the juice so when it comes
time to replace it choose a small LCD alternative. However,
big Flat Screen TV's are big users of electricity so avoid
them. Next on the
list is the Cable or Satellite TV Decoder Box. This is
because they have an exceptionally high Standby Power. If
you are not a big watcher of Television then choose Freeview
instead of Cable or Satellite, or choose a Box with Low
Standby usage. The obvious alternative is to switch the Box
off at the mains most of the time. However, these Decoder
Boxes are notoriously fussy and do not all behave well if
continually powered on and off. If you can get around that
problem then simply turning everything off at the wall can
save you 10% on your Power Usage. |
The Future?
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The Energy Savings
Trust has estimated that another 25% of savings can still be
delivered by slow year-on-year improvements in the efficiency of
household appliances between now and 2020. Further studies
suggest up to 60% of savings can be made by efficiency
improvements by 2050. However this is factoring in CFL's and
improvements in Home Heating and Insulation. However, this is all
very well as long as we do not 'take back' these savings by
increasing our consumption elsewhere in the economy. |
Post-Carbon Girl
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Resource
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 We have many appliances in our house. There is a washing
machine, toaster, lots of computers, television, DVD player,
stereo and 2 noisy vacuums that make me cry. Lots of my toys
light up and sing to me. Daddy uses rechargeable batteries for
them. We use appliances until they stop working and are not
repairable. Then Daddy shops around for the most energy
efficient replacement. You should too. |
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Conclusion
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| References: |
- Mayer Hillman "How We Can Save the Planet"
- Chris Goodall "How to Live a Low-Carbon Life"
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