For the last couple of months I have received in the mail a home energy report from Hydro One.
Great, our usage of power at home is apparently in the top 20% of the most efficient electricity users in my neighbourhood.
The situation is about 95% of our home's heat in the winter months, comes from one wood stove in the kitchen. The majority of our house is 16ºc or less. Some rooms in the house are near 10ºc. 90% of our lights are LED or some energy saving device. All our laundry is done in none peak times.
Chances are a good many of my neighbours are primarily heating with their wood stove and maintaining strict off peak usage of electricity also.
Great, our usage of power at home is apparently in the top 20% of the most efficient electricity users in my neighbourhood.
The situation is about 95% of our home's heat in the winter months, comes from one wood stove in the kitchen. The majority of our house is 16ºc or less. Some rooms in the house are near 10ºc. 90% of our lights are LED or some energy saving device. All our laundry is done in none peak times.
Chances are a good many of my neighbours are primarily heating with their wood stove and maintaining strict off peak usage of electricity also.
My heart goes out to families that need to heat all of their rooms to make it liveable for all occupants. Not only are these individuals charged high electricity fees but also get lumped into the category of less efficient users.
My question is; "efficient to whom and with what criteria"?
How inconsiderate is this Hydro monopoly to rate us and if we fall short of their expectations. We end up feeling like the scum of the earth.
Would it be nice to be off the grid completely? It sure would be, but for anyone seeking to get a mortgage on their home; you better check into it first before going off the grid. Rumour is that mortgage companies and lending institutions may have a problem with your home being off the grid. The sad part of being on the grid is that you are charged a fee even if very little or no power is used.
Many are on restrictive budgets and/or are living from paycheque to paycheque. There is no room for a vacation or the luxuries of a solid income; unless one is to go into debt. Their home is their vacation and in some cases all they have.
We do not have the climate to permit us to live without access to heat, light and water.
Electricity is a must to survive in urban areas and yes in rural areas.
The commodity is needed in the rural expanses to run our water pumps and other devices not commonly used in the urban areas. Rural folks do not have the luxury of having water piped into our homes from the municipality, nor for fire hydrants.
It is very commendable to look out for the environment but this seems to be a lame excuse for initiating costly technologies such as solar and wind generating systems to feed the power grid. Locked in sweetheart agreements have been made with the owners of these devices. Gas power plants planned, initiated and then cancelled, partly to the argument of "not in my backyard". Surprisingly why does this argument not apply to people in the rural areas trying to keep wind turbines from being installed in their localities?
It is time for everyone to really stop and take a serious look and question the practices and mandates of our governments and electricity providers. We must hold them accountable for their actions and inactions.
It is time we stop padding the pockets of select individuals and pay attention to the actual conditions of the working poor and those who are just scraping by.
My question is; "efficient to whom and with what criteria"?
How inconsiderate is this Hydro monopoly to rate us and if we fall short of their expectations. We end up feeling like the scum of the earth.
Would it be nice to be off the grid completely? It sure would be, but for anyone seeking to get a mortgage on their home; you better check into it first before going off the grid. Rumour is that mortgage companies and lending institutions may have a problem with your home being off the grid. The sad part of being on the grid is that you are charged a fee even if very little or no power is used.
Many are on restrictive budgets and/or are living from paycheque to paycheque. There is no room for a vacation or the luxuries of a solid income; unless one is to go into debt. Their home is their vacation and in some cases all they have.
We do not have the climate to permit us to live without access to heat, light and water.
Electricity is a must to survive in urban areas and yes in rural areas.
The commodity is needed in the rural expanses to run our water pumps and other devices not commonly used in the urban areas. Rural folks do not have the luxury of having water piped into our homes from the municipality, nor for fire hydrants.
It is very commendable to look out for the environment but this seems to be a lame excuse for initiating costly technologies such as solar and wind generating systems to feed the power grid. Locked in sweetheart agreements have been made with the owners of these devices. Gas power plants planned, initiated and then cancelled, partly to the argument of "not in my backyard". Surprisingly why does this argument not apply to people in the rural areas trying to keep wind turbines from being installed in their localities?
It is time for everyone to really stop and take a serious look and question the practices and mandates of our governments and electricity providers. We must hold them accountable for their actions and inactions.
It is time we stop padding the pockets of select individuals and pay attention to the actual conditions of the working poor and those who are just scraping by.
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