When my husband and I came home from work last week, we made a point to swing by our electrical panel where we had had some work done while we were out. ”We’ve been Smart Metered!!” we exclaimed simultaneously when we saw the digital display on our meter.
All evening, I went on the offense, flicking off switches and setting dimmers to the low setting. I was convinced that I was doing my part to save energy, and save the world. But, as much of a difference as I’d like to think flipping off a light switch makes, the sad truth is that the effect of such a small action is negligible. While this form of thought may be mistaken, it’s widespread among most Americans, according to a recent survey conducted by the Earth Institute at Columbia University. 505 participants across 34 states were surveyed to reveal that most Americans don’t really understand how to best save energy — 20% of them chose switching off lights as the best way to save energy. Not to say that we should all stop turning off lights, but there are a lot more actions we can take that are significantly more impactful. Surprisingly, though, the more effective energy saving practices – like using more efficient appliances, buying efficient cars, and weatherizing the home- had six to ten times fewer responses each than switching off the light.
My new Smart Meter definitely triggered my knee-jerk reaction to energy conservation, but I know that is not the smartest approach over time to reduce my carbon footprint. Instead, my husband and I should prioritize our weatherization project, which we’d discussed but hadn’t started. If I actually want to make a noticeable dent in our energy consumption, I have to start looking at more important home improvements, such as home solar and weatherization. And with easy and affordable solar plans from SunRun, sometimes saving energy is just as easy as flipping a switch.
