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Old 03-13-2013, 02:46 AM   #6 (permalink)
S-cort
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Redwoods
Posts: 6

The Wagon - '95 Ford Escort Wagon LX
90 day: 28.22 mpg (US)

The Green Ox - '93 Toyota Pickup DX
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There are many reasons to turn off the lights. I am an energy auditor by trade. As Roosterk0031 states above you will pay roughly 6-7 times as much to heat your home with electricity than with natural gas. There are many factors that can make it complicated: furnace efficiency 80-96%, incandescent bulb heating efficiency 95%, and transmission losses of 35% on average from the power plant to your home. The take away is that unless you are getting electricity for under 2 cents per kwh you will pay more.
Beyond saving you money, anytime you conserve electricity you are reducing emissions at the power plant. This is especially important if your powerplant burns coal. Coal is a dirty dirty fuel that emits greenhouse gases that are causing climate change.
You are best off using the gas furnace and supplementing with electric space heaters as little as possible. Change those incandescents out to LEDs or CFLs and see even more savings.
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