I have yet to keep a New Year’s resolution longer than about 2 weeks, until this year. Instead of the Grapefruit Diet or South Beach Diet I decided to go on an Energy Diet. I did set the bar fairly low, knowing of my previous New Year’s resolution successes. So, my resolution was simple and consisted of four parts.
- Change my old light bulbs to CFLs when they burned out (2 so far).
- Turn off the lights when I left the room (or my girls left a room).
- Lower the temperature on my thermostats.
- Turn off electronics when we were done.
Number 4 was the hardest. Remembering to power down monitors and not use the TV for background noise has been tough. However, resolution success came today. Not in a reduction of my waistline, which is usually my goal, but in the reduction of my utility bill.
My constant nagging regarding turning things off has paid off. Looking at my family’s typical day it’s crazy to think about how much we depend on energy. With an estimated 3 billion people without access to affordable modern energy, I realize we often take it for granted.
Doesn’t have to be New Year’s Eve to make a resolution.
