Thirty-six
years ago I moved into my present all-electric home, looking out at acreage,
fir trees, scotch broom and the cows that ate my dahlias over the barbed wire
fence. Those were the days when electric prices were pretty special, especially
when you were served by Salem Electric.
Today I look out on rooftops, wonderful neighbors, a
very different scenario. It's called progress. It has changed the way we look
at energy. With progress comes a price, as it has in California - the most
populated state in the United States.
Having recently spent five weeks in California, we were
bombarded in the television news and in the newspapers. We heard conversations
in grocery stores, in malls, in beauty shops: Were they going to be able to use
hair dryers? Such concerns are on everyone's mind. Unfortunately they came a
bit too late. They are facing serious problems with lack of energy resources.
We need to heed this warning from our neighbors to the south and not make the
same mistakes. We don't need brownouts and blackouts, and there is some talk
about grayouts, ala Governor Gray Davis.
We at Salem Electric are now bombarding our consumers
about the energy crisis here in Oregon. We can do little about the drought, but
there are many precautions we can take to save energy. I picked up this article
from a desert newspaper that I want to pass on to you. Some of these ideas we
know about. Some serve as reminders that we need all the help we can get.
Alicia Bonesteele
Director
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Turned-off appliances add to bill
By Doug Abrahms
Times-Delta Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - Like a drippy faucet that wastes
water, electricity leaks out of TV sets, microwave ovens and stereos when
they're switched off and consumes billions of dollars of unnecessary energy
every year.
Just keeping a TV, video cassette recorder and a cable
box plugged into the wall, but not turned on, will eat more electricity than a
40-watt light bulb burning constantly.
Consumers can buy appliances that cut this leaky electricity by up to 90
percent, but few know about the problem, said Steve Hanson, chief executive at
On Semiconductor, a Phoenix company that is one of several that builds chips
that reduce energy use when placed in appliances.
"The major element for consumers is lack of
awareness," he said. "You cannot buy a car without looking at the
fuel-efficiency rating slapped on the back window".
Cutting back on this electricity seepage from
household gadgets will not solve California's energy shortages overnight but
could reduce demand in the long run. Nationwide, TVs and VCRs eat up about $1
billion worth of electricity yearly when not in use, according to Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) figures.
Stereos, TVs, and especially fax machines each ooze
more than 10 watts of power. Those, plus the numerous cordless phones, battery
chargers and coffee makers around the house, can add up to 10 percent or more
of a family's total electricity usage.
"If it's that much, that surprises me," said
Jim Babb, a spokesman for consumer-electronics retailer Circuit City, who was
aware of electricity leakage but not how much power was consumed.
The EPA's
ENERGY
STAR
Program has focused on cutting electricity usage by refrigerators and washing
machines but only recently turned to smaller household items, said Maria
Vargas, a program spokeswoman.
Rather than requiring manufacturers to increase the
energy efficiency of small appliances, the EPA hopes manufacturers will include
energy information on their products so that consumers can make educated
choices, Vargas said.
Hanson disagrees, saying the government should push
manufacturers to build more energy-efficient equipment or offer incentives for
consumers to buy these devices.
Rising energy costs and electricity shortages in
California have brought more attention to this issue, he said.
"I don't think there's anything that tomorrow
will solve California's electricity crisis," he said. "Consumers will
not flip the main breaker of their houses when they leave every morning."
Vargas said other energy saving steps for consumers
include installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, which can cut electricity
usage by two-thirds, installing programmable thermostats, and ensuring that
computers purchased more than a year ago have their sleep modes activated.
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