Energy Conservation

[K3CZ]

People:

I have a problem which cannot be totally unique to me.  My partner of the last four years (we are both senior citizen professionals) displays very weak energy conservation  skills, and, while professing to be so motivated, does not seem to really be "with it".  She will follow after me into rooms still lit with no occumpants, and turn off the lites (this was drilled into her by her father), and not let me leave the TV on for more than about a minute after I get up before turning it off.  However, she has an active dislike for CFL lites - "Those funky, squirrelly bulbs give me headaches" - and technical persuasion is totally inefective.

Environmentally, she is also poorly motivated.  She professes to be interested in recycling, but really gives it only lip service - most of the recyclables (even aluminum cans) end up in the landfill-destined trash.  Even tho the County trash pickup  provides for separated tri-collection rubbish, I often end up going thru the landfill destined garbage, removing the recyclables.

Comfort wise, she insists on 76 +/- degrees with low humidity the year around for her personal space, or "I'll go to a hotel to get comfortable!"

What all this is leading up to:

How do I persuade her to "join the program"?  We are in the process of designing and building a new joint retirement-friendly abode with utility power source supplemented by renewable, and I will incorporate all the best "green principles" that  I can afford, but what do I do about the above-described problems?  How have others coped with them?

                                               K3CZ

[finnsawyer]

I'll tell you one thing.  Don't mess with her comfort zone if want her to stay around.  Maybe the answer would be radiant heating.  As far as the recycling, have you tried separate bins in the garage.  A permanent physical reminder might help.

[troy]

Does she have kids?  Failure to take care of the environment WILL have a detrimental effect on future generations.  Is she a Christian?  If so, you should point out that the command given in Genesis, "take dominion of the garden" would be better translated as, "You are in charge of the environment, take good care of it."  That is a common theme all through the old and new testament (stewardship of all the gifts of God, including creation).  

So if God wants her to take care of the environment, and her kids are depending on her, and it would make her significant other happy, ...

Good luck with that.

Also, remind me to kiss my wife and compliment her on her deep and serious regard for the environment.  I forget that she is such a special woman sometimes...

Best,

troy

[Garry]

Let her go to a hotel. Between the bother and the bill she will be home in less than a week with a whole new attitude!

[Dan M]

I don't know how well they work, but I've heard a little about "proximity switches" for lights and switched outlets.  I don't know if they use motion detectors, infra-red or both but my understanding is they work fairly well at leaving things on when people are around and turning them off otherwise.

As for CFL's.  My wife wasn't nuts about them but our overhead fixtures in the kitchen have frosted globes so I changed them without her knowledge.  She didn't notice a difference until months later when she commented how long it had been since we changed the bulbs.

If your thermostat is a old round Honeywell style, re-mount the thermostat so that it is slightly cocked (by the difference between, say, 70 and 76 degrees).  If you go the right direction setting it to 76 degrees is actually 70.  If you get it backwards 76 will be 82!  This only works on old thermostats that have a bi-metallic coil.  This can be done internally on some units using a calibration screw.  The thermometer will still read the right temperature, but who can read those anyhow?

You can also move the thermostat nearer a register.  The thermostat will warm up faster than the rest of the house and shut off the furnace sooner.

As for aluminum cans, move to a state with deposits (or write your state rep.).  At 10 cents each it starts to add up.  When a bunch of kids tosses an empty 12-pack along a country road it rarely sits there for more than a day.

-Dan M

[Nando]

Her "zone of comfort" is set until she kicks the bucket -- like my wife -- her temperature is 66 degrees, one degree higher she is sweating and I need better than 78, I grew up in a 30 degree C area ( 86 degree F ) so my comfort zone for me is 86 F. ( Always cold, so with jacket in the house in SUMMER.)

Your half has set her behavior too many years ago and you are seeing it, she will not change UNLESS you carefully show her what she says versus what she does in areas of your interest.

Divorce

Regards

Nando

[Norm]

  (God,

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference)

 You can live alone and conserve to a fault....but what would be the point? Gotta have a partner and friend to share.

  Now get a bunch of replacement bulbs everytime a bulb burns out replace it with a CFL (temporarily) keep forgetting to get regular bulbs!

                   ( :>) Norm

[laskey]

Like the guys say above.  Temperature is a learned thing over time.  I doubt you're ever going to change it.  The only thing you can do is produce "Green heat" in sufficient quantities to keep her happy.

As for the light bulbs... well, you could try to find out what she doesn't like about them. The ones I got originally cast this sucky blue light, and tended to flicker.  I was displeased enough not to use them, until I found a model that roughly approximates the pleasing orange of tungsten bulbs, and no flicker.  The only difference is the 1/4 to 1 second on-time, which I actually find nice.  Replace them in the fixtures where you can't see the bulbs, and see if she notices.  I bet she doesn't.

As for the re-cycle, Trust me, you'll end up like my house... I'm the garbage man. >:|

Cya,

Chris