Sixty miles west of Boston, Massachusetts there is the small New England town of Sturbridge. Located at the junction of I-90 (The Mass Pike), and I-84 it has become known as the "Crossroads of New England". The town was first settled over 300 years ago, and like other small New England towns it has grown just enough over the years to be in a difficult place today. How do we embrace the future without forgetting how we got to our present? How do we attract the right kind of growth, and maintain who we are? And, what about our culture out here in Central Massachusetts?
These pages will cause one to think about how to protect what we have, our future direction, and how to move on in the very best way.
Those thoughts, and other ramblings, will hopefully inspire more thought, conversation, action, and occasionally a smile...
A reader read my earlier post this morning, and pointed out to me that the billing period for National Grid in January was 35 days, and in December it was only 25. November had 34 days.
A hat I should have worn.
Duh, Wally.
I did not take the length of the billing period into account when figuring our electricity usage. Very important number to have left out.
So, let me share what I re-figured.
Electricity for January 2013 was 866 kWh over 35 days for an average of 24.7 kWh/day.
Electricity for December 2012= 603 kWh over 25 days for an average of 24.1 kWh/day.
A difference of only 0.6 kWh. Whew.
Compared to December of 2011 when we used 723 kwh over 35 days for 20.6 kWh / day. There was the an increase in daily kWh of 14% between those two December months.
November was the month I could not explain the peak in usage until I went back, and saw that November had 34 days compared to Octobers 28 days.
Double duh.
Yes, there was still an increase in kWh from 18.53 / day in October to 24.5 / day in November, but the increase of 24.3% was not as great as I had originally thought. Septembers was 18.79 / day.
So, it looks like as the season advanced, the kWh did increase. In the summer the kWh were higher due to using the air conditioners. During the heating season our electrical use should not increase as the temperature outside decreases, unless it is done voluntarily by using the portable heater on the porch, or the bathroom heater. The porch heater can be turned off, and not used. The bathroom heater is something that is a comfortable convenience, and I'm willing to spend a couple of dollars more to keep Mary from turning into the Ice Princess. I'll let you know how the next billing period goes.
This goes to show exactly much how heating appliances can affect your energy consumption.
We used 7382 kWh in all of 2011, and 7623 kWh in 2012, but since the kWh cost was less for us, we actually saved $7.41 last year.
The best part of all this was besides staying about even with our electrical use for the 12 months, we did manage to save 147.6 gallons of oil, a 24.7% savings compared to 2011! At an average of $3.83 / gallon that comes to a $565.30 monetary savings.
Those savings could pay for a half a year of electricity service.
I knew there would be an in increase in electrical usage, how much I was not sure. I also knew there would be a savings in our oil usage, and I did not know that either.
Now, I that have an idea of both, another Human System, the system of Tweakin' comes into play. I will tweak our electrical consumption more. We've already switched over to the new CFL bulbs in 95% of our lights, but there are still a couple of candelabra lights that need to be switched over. These bulbs DO save energy, and money.
I'll look for more ways as the months go on.
Thanks again to the reader that pointed out the difference in billing periods. I feel a better now that the numbers can be explained better. I am glad we are still on track.
Everyone needs a hobby, and this will be mine until the warm weather comes back.
Our house was built in 1858. In the attic there are log rafters, and in the basement the floor joists are logs as well. Over the years indoor plumbing was added, electricity wired from room to room, and central heating installed. Each service matured over time, and some new innovations melded with the old. Our boiler is not that old, but works very well with the old cast iron radiators in all the rooms. The old iron plumbing has been slowly replaced over the years by copper pipes, and most recently PEX (polyethylene) piping. They all work well together, but as time goes by, one generation of pipe is replaced by the most modern pipe.
We stopped using the boiler in our furnace to heat our domestic hot water in 2012. First, in July we converted the new bathroom over to on demand hot water use, and in November we converted the entire house to the on demand system since the electrical cost had not gone crazy, and our oil consumption was heading down.
On December 28, 2007 we received our last oil delivery for that year for a grand total of 1273 gallons for the year. This was our first full year in our home. The oil was not only used for heat in the heating season, but for domestic hot water needs year round. That's a lot of oil.
Now, keep in mind that the house is over 150 years old, and although there have been improvements over the years, it still is an old house. An old, uninsulated house. The only insulation we have found is a some old rock wool insulation in the attic flooring, a bit of blown in insulation in one exterior wall, and none in any of the other walls. Essentially there is plaster and lathe, air space, and the exterior wall. Not a good combination for New England winters.
At the end of 2007, on December 14, we had 19 windows replaced with Harvey insulated windows. The house insulation would have to wait a bit. The following year we used 264 less gallons, and at an average cost of $3.36 per gallon that year we saved $887.04.
Not bad, but I expected more. The following year, 2009, we saved an additional 399 gallons of oil. How? I think we were just a lot more vigilant, and the set back thermostat we had installed the previous year was making a difference.
In 2010 our oil usage went up to 972 gallons. That winter must have been a cold one, but still, I expected to save oil, and here I was using more. Still, no insulation in the walls, just the new windows.
So, at the end of 2011 we saved 29 more gallons from the previous year at 943, but it was not as low as it had been in 2009. It was time to think about the insulation, or make some other changes.
We planned to renovate the second floor bathroom in 2012, so the insulation took a back seat again, however, if the renovation was done right, we could still save oil.
After talking to our heating oil man, and getting a whole bunch of ideas about different hot water systems we opted to go with an on demand electric system. I had always thought it made little sense to heat water in anticipation of using it, instead of as needed. Heating in anticipation was a hold over from when plumbing was moved indoors, and an option was given to heat the bath water on the stove, or have it on hand in the boiler for when you needed it. Very modern and convenient at the time, but not very thrifty today.
At the end of 2012, after converting our hot water heating needs to an on demand system, our oil consumption has gone from the high in 2007 of 1273 gallons to only 709.6 gallons in 2012!
That is a 44% saving in oil with only the new windows, and a new hot water system. Imagine what the savings would be like if we had put insulation in the walls!
So what about the electric usage? Did it go up with the on demand hot water system, and eat up all those oil savings?
We started up the on demand hot water system in late July of 2012. Our kilowatt hours for July of 2011 was 868, and in 2012 went to 988.
2011 2012
September 626 kWh September 533 kWh
October 561 kWh October 519 kWh
November 420 kWh November 833 kWh
December 723 kWh December 603 kwh
January 570 kWh January 889 kWh whoops.
What the heck happened in November of this past year is beyond me. Too early for Christmas lights, but I think someone discovered the new bathroom ceiling electric heater. It was also the month that the whole house went on the on demand system, but that happened late in the month, and the following month was much lower.
At the end of 2012 we not only saved oil, we had saved more electricity in the final month of the year than the previous year by 120 kWh!
I was waiting to see what the last 30 days had wrought, and today I found out. (Insert frowny face here) Our electricity (kilowatt) usage went way up compared to last year, and last month. Since our electrical usage is not dependent upon the winter weather, and our kWh usage was very good last month, the things that would actually increase the amount of kWh used would be things that we have complete control over. There is a portable electric heater on the sun porch that we use to occasionally bump up the room temperature. Apparently, we have been using it far more than would be wise. We hardly used it at all in December. The bathroom ceiling heater is used, as it should be, but I think we need to be a bit more judicious before we flip the switch.
ADDENDUM: December 2012 National Grid bill was for 603 kWh over only 25 days for 24.12 kWh per day, and January 2013 kWh was 866 over 35 days equaling 24.7 kWh per day. So the electrical use did not increase substantially compared to December, or November. January 2012 had 603 kWh over 25 days for 19.89 kWh/ day. Comparing the two months of January, a year apart, shows there was an increase in kWh usage by 19%, and an oil savings of 25%.
(sigh) The Human System is the hardest to regulate.
Seems that all the systems are all functioning as they should, and intended to work, but it the human system that actually needs tweaking. Which leads me to a few additional changes that need to be done.
The first is a behavior change. Of course, if staying warm in the bathroom when bathing, or showering is important, and we can tolerate the increased electricity bill every month, then so be it. Within reason, of course, and if our carbon foot print increases to a size 12 EEE, and harmony is maintained, well then, so be it. It will become the comfort vs. planet argument, and that is one that is fought in every household.
In addition to what I've already mentioned above, decreasing our oil consumption is a goal we work on everyday, and are both on board with. We also don't blast the heat all day. We'll turn it up if the house gets around 61.5 F during the day, or if it gets a bit chilly in the evening. At night, it sets itself back to 58 F. We don't have it go much above 64-65 f. Iron radiators have a way of letting the heat linger longer than forced hot air. Mary will also throw my sweatshirt at me, if I complain about being too cold at other times. She's got a good aim, and she usually hits my hand as it's reaching for the thermostat.
Effective human system at work there.
Insulation is something I will look more into this coming year. If you know of anyone, locally, that blows insulation into older homes, drop me a line. We always prefer to go with a reputable, local company.
In the meantime, the next purchase is to buy a Nest thermostat for the house. Not familiar with the Nest thermostat? It was developed by the man responsible for designing the iPod, and iPhone. Many of those that helped with the development were former Apple people. To learn more about just how this team re-invented the thermostat read this article, and how it can reduce your heating bill beyond what a traditional setback thermostat can, view the video below.
In the meantime, check out this video. The thermostat is available at Lowe's.
We can save both money and energy by a spending a little, or a lot to do it. Whether it be new windows, new hot water system, new thermostat, or new behaviors, they all will work.
Good luck, and let me know how you've done, and I'll let you know where the kilowatts fall next month.
I am asking folks who might be interested in planning an event or events related to the 275th anniversary to attend a meeting on Wednesday, February 13 at 4pm here in Town Hall . We can discuss the scope, funding and timeline and gauge interest in participation. Feel free to pass along to other interested parties as any committee will need to be driven by local residents.
I finally made the list of places of where robot like web nuisances like to visit, and annoy. To be a little clearer, a few months ago I started getting benign anonymous comments about most any posting I made. The comments are generic, obtuse, always pleasantly written without regard for syntax, do not mention the content of the post at all, and always have an attached link. The link, is the purpose of the sending the little robot off to deliver the comments, and I am sure, will lead the person that clicks on it to a world of computer hurt. In the example below, the link resided in the words "electronic cigarette". Don't worry, I removed it. Whew.
"Thanks for the good writeup. It actually used to be a leisure account it.
Look complicated to more added agreeable from you! By the way, how could we communicate?Feel free to surf my weblogElectronic Cigarette."
One way to thwart these robot like programs is to activate the word verification function pictured above. In the past, I have used it, but turned it off since I felt it may be too much of a nuisance for people to endure.
Cripes, what does this say about my audience?
Anyway, it's back up and running now, so if you are leaving a comment, just play along. Comments from real folks are far better than the little notes from webots that I've been receiving.
Unless, they remember my birthday, then I may reconsider that statement.
STURBRIDGE, Mass. – Two brothers from Maine were killed Saturday when their car was struck by a tractor-trailer on Route 20 in Sturbridge.
Venner Curtis, 74, of North Haven and Ronald Curtis, 69, of Owls Head pulled out of a Best Western hotel and into the path of the oncoming truck at about 8:30 a.m., state police said.
Both men were taken to Harrington Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
The driver of the truck was uninjured but was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
No charges have been filed against the truck driver, state police Sgt. Edward Principe said.
I received the following comment this morning:
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Main Street Improvement Proposals Wanted": "It appears that wish #3 is about to be fulfilled. In early January (2013), I observed trucks on either side of Route 20 near the corner of New Boston Road. After two weeks they left leaving a section of conduit sticking out of ground on either side of the highway. I speculate this is will accomodate electrical connections for a new traffic light at that location."
The intersection of New Boston Road, and Route 20.
Same corner looking up to where the Best Western Hotel
had stood until last week when it was torn down.
Hmmm. Worth a look I figured. So, after a run to Home Depot, I drove by the intersection really slow. There, popping out of the ground, at the end of a trench running from the utility pole, was an orange conduit. What's more was an identical orange conduit on the east bound side of Route 20 with a trench running towards the State Police barracks area. Well, if it walks like a duck... Then, again, it could be nothing more than just an orange conduit poking up out of the ground, but 11 years after brothers Venner and Ronald Curtis of Maine died at this intersection, I am hoping for something a bit more than orange conduit. Maybe, just maybe.
