AdamB wrote:
Even though Americans are working more hours, many are still watching their paychecks erode and saving less money – if they are saving anything at all. Against this current backdrop, people across the country are spending an annual average of $3,512 per person on energy, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). With the average worker making $48,664 per year, that is a staggering amount of money devoted to keeping the lights on, the house warmed and cooled and the gas tank full. But for those living on low or fixed incomes, the burden is even more crushing, with the poorest households generally spending more than 20 percent of their income on home energy bills, and in some extreme cases, more than 50 percent. With more than 40 million Americans living in poverty, according to the Census Bureau, and 13.5 million unemployed
Let’s Talk Candidly About Energy
I don't get it. If people are so "poor", why not try a little conservation, or a little common sense? (Given the tone and emphasis on "unaffordability" in this piece).
I live in KY, where the average cited by the chart from the EIA in the linked piece says the average expenditure is $4006 per person. I live in a city, so I can see how rural costs might be higher, but still.
So if you have the "poor"family of four, that gives over $16,000 a year spent on energy -- on AVERAGE. Which just leaves me scratching my head, unless people are willing to put in NO effort.
So for me, living by myself in a 1957 poorly insulated 1800 SF ranch house, including a half basement. There is no insulation in the walls, and very little in attic with a built-in wood floor.
I spend about $60 a month on the natural gas bill on average. This includes a gas dryer, gas hot water heater, the gas furnace, and the gas whole-house generator (which generally runs about 50 minutes a month for weekly self testing, plus for any outages -- so it's generally an under $5 a month hit. I keep the indoor temperature at 67 in the winter, which is comfortable enough for me and the cat. I keep the water temperature hot enough that it feels hot enough to barely feel too hot to my hands with pure hot. (Don't know why I need it hotter than that).
I spend a very similar amount on average on electricity. The A/C, computers, fans, a microwave, and efficient lighting, plus a space heater in winter comprise that. The space heater, long underwear, and a heavy sweatshirt keep me comfortable where I am on cold winter days. In the summer I keep the house at 76, which is comfortable for me and the cat, if I use a room fan on the hottest days.
Lawn care energy is trivial. I use about 5 gallons gas a year for lawn care.
For driving, with a little effort, a 30 mpg car isn't hard to get. The average person drives about 12,000 miles a year. So even if all that driving is necessary (which I'm not buying, poor people can and should limit driving, which is expensive), that's 400 gallons of gasoline at about $2.50 a gallon (year given in the chart was 2015) or roughly $1000.
(I drive about 4000 miles a year and get more like 25 mpg, so for me it's about $400 gasoline for driving)
Now for me that gives total annual direct energy expenditures of (unless I'm missing something major) about:
$720 for natural gas
$720 for electricity
$405 for gasoline.
So living alone and only making minor efforts at conservation, that fives about $1845 a year.
So for the average driver alone in an older house, willing to make minor efforts at conservation that would give something like:
$720 for natural gas
$720 for electricity
$1005 for gasoline, or $2445 a year.
...
Now, HOW in the HELL do we go from there to an AVERAGE of $16,024 for a family of four?
Let's say they want to be warmer and spend $1200 for natural gas. Let's say they use more electricity for gadgets, hair dryers, TV's, etc. and use $500 apiece. (Fans, lights, furnaces, A/C, etc. isn't going to add much for more people, so I figure this is generous). So that's $2000 for electricity.
Now driving. Let's say both husband and wife have a car and drive 12,000 miles a year. (Again, we're talking average here -- not a family with two crazy commutes.) So that's $2005 a year for gasoline, with the two drivers. Add another $500 for assuming one child is driving age. So then you have $2505 for gasoline.
So for this average family of four, trying to be generous with the energy allotment, I get
$1200 for natural gas. (Maybe electric heating is far more expensive on average?)
$2000 for electricty.
$2505 for gasoline.
So now with some modest efforts at conservation, we have $5705 a year for our average family of four.
...
Unless I'm missing that everyone but me has a GIGANTIC KILN they run constantly or something, how in the world do these numbers work out on average? And if they do due to waste, how "sorry" should we feel for the people who won't bother to lift a finger to save (a LOT) while they're crying dire poverty and energy expense "burden"?
And let's remember, I haven't insulated my place. I don't want to risk screwing things up by pumping stuff into the walls. In the attic, I have been cautioned against spray foam under the wooden floor my dad laid before the 70's energy crisis began (which would have to be ripped up) as it is then a big pain to do any basic electrical work, etc. And for the roof, then you won't know about any leaks until a lot of damage is done. (But if I couldn't make ends meet and I could save a LOT of money by insulating -- then I would surely make a different choice).
edit: I messed up and used $5 for yard work instead of $12.50
What I'm looking for is places I'm way off for the average person/family who is willing to do some minor common sense conservation.
Given the track record of the perma-doomer blogs, I wouldn't bet a fast crash doomer's money on their predictions.