grandsons.
It had to come about. Australians are according to the stats the world’s most proliferate energy users, per capita, in tandem also as being the fattest, we had a University Research interview about the former at our home. This was scheduled for 1pm yesterday and I can’t wait for the next study on our relentless surge in fatness. It seems, that all escape routes are now being pursued. We will not be allowed to get away with either.
We have always been keen to try and reduce consumption of energy. Much more so out of necessity than out of a moral obligation to supress our ecological hoof print, which I believe is also one of the highest. (per capita) We needed our bills to calm down and match our income. Generally sufficient to buy bread, butter, eggs and hot Hungarian salami. Since a few days ago I discovered a huge bunch of Bok Choi at Harris Food Farm Markets for the mouth watering price of $0.99c. We are almost daily feasting on this Bok Choi with carrots and Mozart’s requiem.
We do try and eat fish at least once a week. The omega 3 fatty acids in copious ingestion of sardines with the occasional late night raid in the fridge of a slice of smoked salmon also often feature in this Opa and Oma family, even though H (Oma) excludes herself from any smoked stuff. We do try and mini-use energy but the bills slowly but surely are sneaking up, but with the resolute resolve also not let it get us beaten.
I snoop around late in the evening switching off anything that is still glowing. The thermostats on the heaters are turned down another degree during the day to 17c and the electric blankets are on 2 instead of 3 previously and reduced to ten minutes before bedtime instead of the previous winter of fifteen.. I chucked the electric water jug years ago and boil just enough for 2 cups on an old kettle with a whistle. We have gas cooking and instantaneous gas hot water set at 48c.
Apart from sitting in the dark I don’t know what else we can do. Perhaps sit closer together and share a single light for reading.?
Anyway; here is the synopsis of what the interview is about;
Enjoy!
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Tags: Bok Choi, Italian salami, Oma, Opa, Sardines
Oosterman Treats Blog 
May 30, 2014 at 4:59 am |
… As the world’s most proliferate energy users, per capita, in tandem also as being the fattest, …
Huh?
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May 30, 2014 at 5:10 am |
Yes,I knew I took a risk with that one. Have changed the wording a bit ! Did you watch the program last night on ‘super-sizing’?
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May 30, 2014 at 5:50 am |
No, I watch recorded episodes of “Escape to the Country” 🙂
When I said Huh? I was questioning the statement, not the wording. Are we the fattest and the highest energy users per capita? If so, I’m astounded.
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May 30, 2014 at 7:11 am |
It was on the news yesterday. We the fattest and have overtaken the US. The higher users of energy, yep, for years. The biggest users of water, that one too. That fits to be living on the driest continent. And we have the biggest mouth how good we are. Do top it all off we vote ourself a government that doesn’t believe in science. We are a weird mob indeed.
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May 30, 2014 at 7:46 am
Yes, all a worry. There is some gene imbedded in corn sugar that prevents people from feeling they have eaten enough, so…they just keep eating.
It has also something to do with capitalism gone mad using science to squeeze larger profits even if it kills. Something I noticed has escaped Abbotts budget.
A tax on sugar fat and salt!
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May 30, 2014 at 8:50 am
That would “eat” into the profit of those companies. We can’t have that.
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May 30, 2014 at 9:46 am |
Oh wow, we’ve overtaken the US, that’s woeful. I wonder who is using all the power, it’s not me!
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May 30, 2014 at 6:16 am |
I’ve managed to get our energy bills down to practically zilch here. Well of course I lie but they really are significantly lower than at any house that I’ve ever lived in before. With a small budget, every cent counts. Admittedly we don’t have a house full of appliances – no fancy electric cooking equipment, no microwave, no freezer, no telly, no tumble dryer – The only big energy guzzler that we have is a washing machine and even that I put on the most frugal washing programme. But it’s very satisfying knowing that not only am I saving us money but I’m also being incredibly ‘green’ – saintly in fact! – In truth I hate to think what my carbon footprint to date is – just thinking about all those endless flights to Bali and back. Round the world, long-haul trips back to London. Oh how depressing, time to go and put the electric kettle on and make some tea 🙂
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May 30, 2014 at 7:42 am |
Oh, how an example in Spain can lead the world. No TV? What instead during those long Andalusian winter nights?
It is on the cusp of summer there now. Here we had the warmest autumn months since ….dunno.
Milo sends his bum sniffing regards to C. Snout.
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May 30, 2014 at 6:59 am |
No, we’re far from being the highest energy users, Gerard ! – since those bastards started flogging us all to death with their BLODY
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May 30, 2014 at 7:02 am |
No, we’re far from being the highest energy users, Gerard ! – since those bastards started flogging us all to death with their BLOODY hikes in cost, our energy use has gone backwards very fast, Which might show we were once, I dunno: but we sure ain’t any more …
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May 30, 2014 at 7:37 am |
Yes, you are right but…we are still the highest emitters of CO2 per capita (carbon dioxide) mainly due to our (still very high) energy consumption being fed by burning dirty coal.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/datablog/2009/sep/02/carbon-emissions-per-person-capita.
Our latest energy bills are as follows;
Electricity $ 185.23 12 Feb to 13th May 201`4
Gas $ 196.21 14 Jan to 14 April 2014
You show yours, I have shown mine! 😉
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May 30, 2014 at 7:52 am
Having just returned to the AGL fold for my gas, I got my first monthly bill last week. It was twice my normal quarterly bill. I called them and spoke to them firmly. They agreed with me. They are looking into it and reissuing … Yours is an excellent electricity bill, you know ! You must really be taking care. Well done !
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May 30, 2014 at 8:10 am |
Yes, we were conned into changing from AGL to Country energy by some smart salesman with a tablet at our door who preneted to be just making sure we had the best deal. The next bills were dearer. We are now back with gas and electricity with AGL and get a discount for being pensioner. Also some discount for paying in time.
I stuck a sticker on the front door, ‘ F. Off. you door knocking salesman!.
I really don’t know why some suppliers of gas and electricity are cheaper or even different. Don’t we all still get the same electricity down those poles and the same gas through the pipe?
Why put the elderly through such ordeals in the first place?
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May 30, 2014 at 7:50 am |
The educational value of your blog is astonishing Gerard. I would never have known that Mozart’s Requiem is edible. What about Verdi’s? I presume you have bought a job lot of scores. But with Bok Choi! Now that’s creative.
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May 30, 2014 at 8:02 am |
Well, during 55 minutes of Amadeus one needs sustenance so …bok choy.
So much more civil that those giant buckets of pop corn. The stench of it would turn poor old Mozart in his grave.
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May 30, 2014 at 8:06 am
Ah yes, Spinning Wolfgang.I loathe pop corn.
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May 30, 2014 at 8:12 am
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May 30, 2014 at 10:26 am |
The pink bats keep our house warm and May having been such an extraordinary warm autumn month we have used our heaters hardly at all this far. What a saving in electricity! Our days get shorter for another three weeks. After this we can look forward to have every day a bit more light again! Before the rise in electricity prices is going to kill us we might resort to burning candles. Mozart composed his requiem by candlelight, didn’t he?
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May 30, 2014 at 10:43 am |
Putting ceiling bats in was our first priority too when we moved in almost four years ago. Today we received a lot of windows that are going to be put in this coming Monday to double our glazing and will give us even more rewards in lowering energy consumption. The winters here are serious even though we are not that far from the coast.
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May 30, 2014 at 5:44 pm |
Our energy bills are lower than most, so we must be doing something right around the house. Travel is something else: guilty, guilty, guilty. Peggy and I put on a lot of miles in our wandering life-style. The greed of the oil industry is helping us to cut back, however. 🙂 –Curt
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May 31, 2014 at 6:09 am |
Well Curt,
With you and Peggy sitting around campfires most of the time you would be low energy consumers. With your wondrous tales, traveling minstrels springs to mind.
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May 31, 2014 at 3:17 pm
Love the image of traveling minstrels, Gerard. Thanks. –Curt
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May 30, 2014 at 10:56 pm |
It is hard cutting back on energy consumption when one is used to doing things a certain way. Australia should be one of the lowest. With our available sunlight, we should need less (to keep warm and we can dry clothes outside) and we should be be able to tap into the power of the sun for other uses. It seems that we do not.
I admire you for your own low consumption.
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May 30, 2014 at 11:14 pm |
Australia is actually doing alright with the uptake of solar power but with the subsidy having been cut back and Abbott’s hatred of progress and denial of climate change, things are reverting again.
For us, we feel rewarded for efforts when our consumption has declined or at the minmum is stable. Of course the rates of kilowatts etc has skyrocketed.
I did not know that chargers switched on at the power point consume power even when not actually charging the mobile phone
I was always annoyed to visit people who had their television on without actually watching it. Is it just on for the sake of a background noise or flickering images?
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May 31, 2014 at 2:59 am
You have raised some good points there. Thanks
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May 31, 2014 at 7:13 pm |
We have been working hard at this too. I have lined half of the old section of the house with Wallrock, and have layers of shawls, leg warmers and half-mittens by my desk. We try to use the wood burner (new and super efficient) instead of gas as much as possible. We have just changed from a ‘big’ energy provider to a small one with no shareholders and a commitment to use green energy and put profits into environmental schemes.
I’d better try the music for lunch as well.
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May 31, 2014 at 9:12 pm |
Oh yes, mittens and leg warmers. As kids mum used those old stone gin bottles (Jenever) as hot water bottles in our beds. She used to wrap them up in socks that she had knitted. Not that she ever had gin but did make plenty of socks.
Great to go green Hilary.
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May 31, 2014 at 9:40 pm |
Interesting how salesman were going door to door selling cheaper electricity. We have all manner of “energy companies” here that are cheaper than TXU (Texas Utilitiy).But I have stayed with TXU for I’m thinking this company has the better price in the long run.
I suppose you could could watch less TV and read a book or play a game by candlelight. Just consider it fun. 🙂
To save costs I discontinued TV about 2 years ago. I hang laundry on lines outdoors or dry on racks in the winter and when raining. But I run an AC when it gets to about 85 degrees. It is very humid here and I can’t tolerate the heat like a youngster.
This is a post to cause a person to think about how wasteful we all are.
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