I started in June of 2007 with the goal of a 90% reduction. THAT didn’t happen, but I am still happy to report that I DID have a significant decrease – both from the Average American Household (or Average Individual Usage), as well as from my own usage a year ago (when I had those numbers.)
My ONE YEAR:
Electric Usage (for July-June) was 3,876 kwh. This is…
…down 64.78% (7,128 kwh) from the national average.
…down 44.36% (1,765 kwh) from my own usage during the same months 12 months prior.
I just have to realize that, since I run a business out of my home with all the required equipment for this purpose, I won’t be able to decrease my electric usage the full 90%, and will just have to be happy with the progress I made for the year.
Natural Gas Usage (for July-June) was 419 therms. This is…
…down 58.08% (580.80 therms) from the national average.
I have some caulking and insulating to do this summer. That should, hopefully, help the numbers for next year.
Water Usage (for June-May) was 21,750 gallons. This is…
…down 43.65% (16,850 gallons) from the national average.
I get water bills quarterly. Since the numbers listed include months when I wasn’t participating in the Riot for Austerity, my next quarterly statement and the previous three will give me a better look at what I was able to do. Every quarter my numbers look better. However, this is not a bad start.
Consumer Goods (for July-June) was $302.90. This is…
…down 96.90% ($9,697.10) from the national average.
First off, I hate to shop – so this was not too tough for me. This dollar figure includes things like paper towels, garbage bags, $78 for clothes and shoes, $35 for storage units, and $42 for items like toothpaste, tooth brushes, deodorant, shampoo, soap, laundry and dish washing soap, etc., the rest was for things from places like Home Depot for household repair and lawn care. I rescued many items (clothes included) destined for the trash.
Auto Gas (for July-June) was 217.30* gallons. This is…
…down 54.56% (282.74 gallons) from the national average.
* I had the July and August of 2007 numbers, and the oil tag that gave the mileage of the last oil change in mid-August of ‘07. When I subtracted the mileage from August of ‘07 from my current mileage, I had 3,943 miles (yeah, it’s past time to get my oil changed.) Back when I kept better track of mileage, etc. I got roughly 23 miles to the gallon. If I assume that is correct still, and add in the full July and August numbers from last year, I end up with 217.30 gallons of gas used.
I realize this isn’t exact – but it should be pretty close.
Well, there you have it. Not a 90% reduction, but still a decent reduction in these areas. Now, can I beat these numbers for the next 12 months?
That is darn good! My stats vary widely, from being only about 4% down in vehicle fuel, to being over 90% down in garbage output. Mostly I’ve managed to get things down by about 30-40%. Not great really. What does us in is the size of our house, which is really too big for two people, and how far away we live from work. It’s coming down to whether we stay here or move closer to town. So far we’ve opted to stay, because we have land to grow food, and room for family to live with us if need be in future. In the mean time, I’ll keep saving that shower water and firing up the woodstove. I’m getting more comfortable at doing somewhat more ‘radical’ things, so I think I can get our water and electricity numbers down some more yet.
One of my friends once said to me (while talking about the 90% challenge, and I paraphrase):
The problem with a lot of environmentalists is that they don’t see some progress as a very good thing to be celebrated. Either it is a HUGE amount that the average person can never attain (so most don’t even try) or they beat themselves up for not achieving this difficult to achieve goal. Be happy with progress, and gradually work for better. (I guess that “progress not perfection” adage applies here.)
So, let’s celebrate your 30%-40%!
Yea, my house is really too big for just one person, but I love the yard so I’m going to find a way to make it work. I don’t have any commuting expenses, and that really saves me.