Conservation: [at-l] RE: Windmills

[kahley7@ptd.net (kahley)]

At 06:16 PM 11/13/01 -0500, Bob Cummings wrote:
. But don't just swap 100 watt bulbs for 60 watt bulbs, swap them for
>16 watt and 20 watt florescents, which are starting to plummet in price. This
>very afteroon I replaced my last incandescant bulb for the new low energy
>replacements.

For awhile, Mike and I have been giving each other a present for
the earth as a Christmas present.  Rather than struggle to find
each other the perfect present, we join forces and use the money to
make some change or improvement in our lives that lightens our
impact on the environment.  Some things were cheap, like a
clothesline and a wooden clothes drying rack.  Some things have
been expensive, like a newer more efficient car.  Some things have
been marvelous, like not replacing the broken central heating but
using one small eclectic oil filled radiator in the bath and a 10,000
BTU kero heater in the kitchen/livingroom (and a like unit in the
studio when temps drop to 10 degrees.  This not only cut our
heating fuel requirements by 60%, but allowed us a cold bedroom,
cool studio but cozy "great room".  Perfect!

Last year we did the switch to florescent.  These things are a
MARVEL.  I suffer from seasonal affective disorder, and to keep
from severe depression, I had been burning 1000 watts of incandescent
in the living area.  To replace those big bulbs with the squiggly or
loopy flourotubes may have looked a bit strange but the output of
those lights is freaking amazing!!!!!!!!!  Out electricity bills plummeted
to such a degree that I envisioned our meter reader throwing a crying
fit like the gas meter guy does in that air conditioner commercial.

This year we are sort of stumped.   Running out of things to do,
We are considering an on demand water heater.  Anyone have any
experience with these?  any info will be appreciated.  Thank you.
Or if you have any other ideas, we'd love to hear them.