Saving the planet--action alert

This morning I did something I’ve been meaning to do since last year. I went online and switched my energy supply company (ESCO) to one that supplied green power.

And I'll still be saving money over last year's electric bill.

IDT supplies energy from wind, solar, biomass or water for a price differential of only 1.5 to 2.5 cents per kilowatt hour. I selected IDT after reviewing all ESCO rates for my state (New York) at PowertoChooseNY.com. I found the site by googling “Compare ESCOs New York,” and I imagine other state energy departments provide similar cost comparison lists that also list green alternatives. A company called Energetix offered a marginally lower rate, but I’ve long been interested in IDT after reading about energy efficiencies they are involved in.

On their site, IDT explains what choosing the Green option will cost:

“IDT Energy estimates that the average monthly electricity use for an individual is about 250 kilowatt hours, and average monthly electricity use for a household is about 750 kilowatt hours [KwH]. We are offering green electricity for just 1.5 to 2.5 cents per kWh more than you would pay for standard electricity. This means that for about seven dollars per person or about nineteen dollars per household you can have the security of knowing that your energy dollars are helping the environment, the economy, and our security.”

In the past year, thanks to the use of compact fluorescent bulbs, removing wall chargers when not in use, and reinstating the principles I was raised with (i.e., turn the light off when you leave a room—grew up poor), we have reduced our electrical footprint by 15% to 30% over the same time last year (in this month, by 27%, from 268 KwH to 198).

Growing up poor I learned to squeeze a dollar. As an adult, trying to live as one of two artists and spend as little time as possible in an office earning a respectable living, I learned to squeeze it even further. So it gives me enormous pleasure to be able to play the open-handed environmentalist and support the green movement and help contribute to cleaner air and less dependence on foreign oil or offshore drilling at a cost of about

200 KwH x 1.5 to 2.5 cents per month = $3.00 to $5.00 month. $30 to $50 a year.

I have already paid for my environmental largesse by cutting back on energy usage.  

I understand that those who have electric water heaters or electric heat and are on low incomes may not be able to do something like this. We may not have those electrical utilities, but my husband uses amplifiers and keyboards at home, and spends a great deal of time composing on the computer, so it’s not as if we don’t need or use energy.

But for those of us who live in apartments, it’s easy to see what a no-brainer it is. The Energetix ESCO also offered a  50% green plan, so the sticker shock would be less. For New York, it seemed to me that their rates were the lowest.

I close in the blush of virtue . Saving energy and doing my bit for the environment is a thrill for me—not using aluminum foil or plastic wrap, etc. I get a kick when I compare this year’s utility usage to last year’s. I’m only sorry that it took me this long to switch to green. I’ll update in a few months if the outcome of the switch has been different than anticipated.

A note: You can find ratings and reviews of compact bulbs online (they differ as to whether it takes a minute or so to reach full power, etc.  Some people keep a regular bulb in certain places but use compacts in hallways, closets, etc. I use them everywhere--with an ivory lampshade, I still get a soft light from them.