The Simple Life
After reading a recent edition of the Huntingtonian forwarded to me by Adam Davis, I want to say kudos to our HC/U Page Six friends Brett and Bryce for setting an example and to thank my husband who is ever trying to teach me the ways of thriftiness and frugality for conservation's sake. I may never be able to make it through the day without my hot shower, but I'm inspired by what these guys are doing.
Working full-time for a gas company for the past two weeks has been interesting. Lots of people call to complain about their bills. They keep their thermostat set at 75 all the time and their bill shouldn't be this high!!!!
Granted, it is nice to be able to wear a t-shirt in your house in the middle of winter when it is bitter cold outside. Is that something we really need to be able to do though??? Nobody seems to realize that being able to heat your home at all, much less heat it to 75 all the time, is a luxury. People act like they've got some kind of undeniable right to dirt-cheap natural gas, some kind of right to be totally comfortable all the time with a minimum effort on their part. The mindless consumption is incredible.
Let it burn.
For the love of God and the amazing creation we live in [and frequently exploit], dial down the thermostat this winter and put on a sweater!
Working full-time for a gas company for the past two weeks has been interesting. Lots of people call to complain about their bills. They keep their thermostat set at 75 all the time and their bill shouldn't be this high!!!!
Granted, it is nice to be able to wear a t-shirt in your house in the middle of winter when it is bitter cold outside. Is that something we really need to be able to do though??? Nobody seems to realize that being able to heat your home at all, much less heat it to 75 all the time, is a luxury. People act like they've got some kind of undeniable right to dirt-cheap natural gas, some kind of right to be totally comfortable all the time with a minimum effort on their part. The mindless consumption is incredible.
Let it burn.
For the love of God and the amazing creation we live in [and frequently exploit], dial down the thermostat this winter and put on a sweater!
posted by Heather at 7:24 AM
5 Comments:
Holy cow, what kind of strange person thinks that 75 is a reasonable settting for the thermostat? Granted, it was really great living in Roush where it was always a balmy 80 degrees, but my thermostat is most certainly not set that high right now. It spends approximately a grand total of 4-5 hours a day above 60.
I think we should move all these people in with Bryce and Brett. :-)
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Heather.... I heart Thoreau :o)
But I do have to admit...I feel Ellie's pain. You remember last year, I am sure, when my roomy and I were constantly at odds about the room temperature. I, too, become physically ill when I am cold. I have quite a few really warm blankets and socks and hoodies this year to keep me warm... the room temp is quite a bit more comfortable (for others) than it has been in the past... but I definitely must agree with Thoreau... We don't need that much heat. :o)
I love you guys!!! :o)
I've retracted my earlier comment in favor of one that more adequately expresses what I want to say.
To Ellie,Alicia,and any other friends I've failed to mention whose bodies do not tend to maintain temperatures very well--- no need to defend yourselves.
1) I think you are the sort of people who would turn down the heat if your well-being didn't require the higher temperatures.
2) I also think that you're the sort of people that realize a) that it takes more fuel to maintain higher temperatures and b)that natural gas is a natural resource that is not manufactured in China for $0.05/hour.
My heart is not so flinty as to disregard that the elderly, the very young, and those with medical conditions need to use more gas and that sometimes it is these very people who are least able to afford the amount of fuel they need.
This critique was aimed at people who think they've got a right to comfortably walk around barefoot in their homes in January for under $100 in gas costs. These people consume gas with seemingly no understanding that it requires more fuel to maintain a higher temperature in their home.
While I'm mentioning who this critique was aimed at, let me also mention people who think that they should only have to pay for the gas they're using, not for any of the service [pipelines, meters, service tecs] that gas companies provide --- and there are more of these people than you would imagine possible.
But I digress . . . to those who my post may have offended, I offer my sincere apologies and hope that this comment has done something to clarify my position.
Okay, I think this is the perfect moment to point out that in the new Narnia movie, the adult King Edmund strongly resembles Brett Diamond. No joke. I will be shocked if no one else noticed this.
Also, I think we could all do our part by turning down our heat at home while we go visit Brett and Bryce for a weekend of fun in Huntington. Of course, it wouldn't really work for me, because my roommate would probably turn it up again while I was gone, but if anyone else is up for it, I'll ride along or something...
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