There are a couple basic reasons why energy is a bigger issue for families today:
Homes are bigger. We were a family of 5 growing up in a 1,500 square foot house with one bathroom (gasp!). Today, we all want bigger homes which require more energy to heat, cool and maintain.
Construction practices are different. Cathedral ceilings and recessed lighting for example are very on-trend, but perform poorly from an energy efficiency standpoint. Also, certain time periods (notably the 70s and 80s) were known to use incredibly inefficient practices and are prone to air leakage and thermal barrier issues.
We have more stuff. We had one TV in the house when I was a kid, no cell phones, no DVD player...man were we deprived! In contrast, I'm friends with a couple that has two kids and 9 TVs in their house (plus all the other gadgetry). All this stuff takes power and costs money.
We spend more time indoors. So not only do we have more stuff in the house, but we spend more time indoors using all this stuff.
FEMP for Energy Action Month |
Posted by: Kylene Golubski
President
Pro Energy Consultants