Expensively saving
Once upon a time, people went out the the woods and cut down trees to heat their homes. Not enough trees cut down, you had cold feet. Seems like a balanced way of doing things.
Then, Benjamin Franklin invented lightning, and…
I have to stop using cartoons as a basis for learning history. The real story is that Hydro Quebec invented electricity, which they stuffed into wires and put into every home to allow heat. No chimneys on our houses, that must be the explanation.
There is a price to pay for easy energy. I pay it every month. Many years ago, the Hydro people developed a campaign to upgrade the thermostats in our homes, so that we would use less electricity. THe program would cost the homeowner nothing. Somebody turned on the abacus and decided that this was not a sound financial plan for a corporation that is profit based, so the plan was withdrawn. Before I got my thermostats replaced. I won’t say thank you.
Children are good clients for Hydro Quebec. A room should always be hot, even when said child is gone elsewhere. They probably have a subliminal message on the video channel that says “Turn up the heat, close the door and go play outside”. I know this is true. I am the financial backer for these good clients.
So, I’m tricking them. Today we purchased a certain number of electronic thermostats, that will allow me to turn the heat down when they are distracted by other things. Like video games. I plan to explain that the new doohickey on the wall is a clock so that I’ll know when to start preparing another meal, or drive them to a friend’s house, or something similar.
If all goes as planned, the reduction of 4.5% on my heating bill will be “really cool” in more ways than one. It doesn’t matterthat the thermostats cost money. I’m bound and determined that I will save, however expensively.
