California LIght Bulb Law is Based On Myth - Page 3

 On Fri, 02 Feb 2007 04:16:57 +0000, Eeyore


In Tennessee, most of the electric companies are co-ops. Money is
needed to run the offices, and maintain lines and stuff, so the co-op
adds a cent or to to each kwh they resell. The volume of the
electricity sold allows them a margin to operate with. If we all
suddenly cut our usage 50%, then the co-op would then  have to charge
more for each kwh.

I suppose that would work for a profit company also.

 



Steve Cothran wrote:


Changing your light bulbs isn't likely to reduce energy concumption by 50% ! If
it did all our problems would be over.

Graham

 

That supposes that all the costs of running the electric company are fixed.
They are not.  Many are variable depending on how much electric is
generated.  So cut the demand and the costs go down some (not
proportionally, but some).

And not all forms of generation cost the same, cut demand and you can shut
down the most expensive generation first.

It gets really complicated.

daestrom

 

Sudden Disruption wrote:


Not vey helpful in the summer is it ? You'll need more A/C to get rid of that
heat.

Graham

 

1) In California they don't have much of a heating season.  In fact
they run the air conditioning quite a lot.

2) Incandescent lightbulbs are terrible heaters.  The heat that
replaces the heat not given off by the bulb probably comes
from a more effecient and less costly source.