Gas Use
Total Usage for year: 476 kW/h
Average Per Day: 1.30 kW/h
Average Yearly UK Household Gas Use: 19,000 kW/h
CO2 Emissions From My Gas Use This Year: 90.44 kg
It's always a bit disingenuous comparing my energy use with the average UK household since I only have a one-bedroom flat to heat. You might also recall that I spent most of August and September without using any gas at all after the boiler packed in and I decided I didn't need it until it got colder.
For that reason, cutting my gas use by 10%, or 48 kW/h, next year will be hard. I intend to switch the hot water off completely whenever I'm on shifts when I know I won't be needing hot water - previously I've just left it running on the timer. A quick end to winter would help as well, although it's ironic that Climate Change would help me reduce my energy use!
Electricity Use
Total Usage for year: 2,239 kW/h
Average Per Day: 6.13 kW/h
Average Yearly UK Household Electricity Use: 3,700 kW/h
CO2 Emissions From My Electricity Use This Quarter: 963 kg
My electricity use has always followed my shift pattern, but I'm troubled by what appears to be a rise in the second half of the year compared to the first half. To cut my electric use by 10%, or 224 kW/h, will take some doing and I'm not quite sure yet how I'm going to achieve that. Cutting the amount of time when my computer is switched on may be a start - if I'm in the flat then the computer is usually switched on whether I'm using it or not. I may start turning it off if I'm slobbed in front of the telly.
Total Usage for year: 2,239 kW/h
Average Per Day: 6.13 kW/h
Average Yearly UK Household Electricity Use: 3,700 kW/h
CO2 Emissions From My Electricity Use This Quarter: 963 kg
My electricity use has always followed my shift pattern, but I'm troubled by what appears to be a rise in the second half of the year compared to the first half. To cut my electric use by 10%, or 224 kW/h, will take some doing and I'm not quite sure yet how I'm going to achieve that. Cutting the amount of time when my computer is switched on may be a start - if I'm in the flat then the computer is usually switched on whether I'm using it or not. I may start turning it off if I'm slobbed in front of the telly.
Car Use
This is quite painful to disclose since I've never revealed my petrol usage on here before, but I thought it was about time - particularly if I want to cut it by 10%. And this was the first year that I kept records.
Once a week I take a 130 mile round trip to the wilds of Perthshire. In the car it takes 75 minutes. By public transport it takes 3 hours. So I take the car. It's used very rarely outside of that trip, but I'm aware that because of that one trip I use it more than some commuters who only go a couple of miles.
So, deep breath:
Petrol Used: 672 litres
Miles Travelled: 5,496
Average Miles Per Gallon: 39.18
CO2 Emissions From My Petrol Use This Quarter: 1,552kg
A better driving technique and driving slower should see me reduce those figures by 10%
Once a week I take a 130 mile round trip to the wilds of Perthshire. In the car it takes 75 minutes. By public transport it takes 3 hours. So I take the car. It's used very rarely outside of that trip, but I'm aware that because of that one trip I use it more than some commuters who only go a couple of miles.
So, deep breath:
Petrol Used: 672 litres
Miles Travelled: 5,496
Average Miles Per Gallon: 39.18
CO2 Emissions From My Petrol Use This Quarter: 1,552kg
A better driving technique and driving slower should see me reduce those figures by 10%
Rail Use
Since I work on the railway, I'm not going to include my emissions from my job - that would see them go through the roof, and they're outwith my control anyway! But without me there, other people would not be able to reduce their emissions by taking the train instead of their car, so I can sleep soundly at night!
What I will include, though, are the three train trips I took for leisure purposes - two round trips to Glasgow and one to Aberdeen. That's 400 miles, or 31.56 kg of CO2
Since I work on the railway, I'm not going to include my emissions from my job - that would see them go through the roof, and they're outwith my control anyway! But without me there, other people would not be able to reduce their emissions by taking the train instead of their car, so I can sleep soundly at night!
What I will include, though, are the three train trips I took for leisure purposes - two round trips to Glasgow and one to Aberdeen. That's 400 miles, or 31.56 kg of CO2
Ferry Use
Totals
The average person in the UK directly produces 6 tonnes of CO2, and if we're ever going to get climate change under control then we need to get this down to 3 tonnes per person. Although I don't have any figures for food consumption above, my figures show that getting our emissions below that 3 tonnes per person figure can be done!
Figures for average UK energy use and CO figures are taken from the book How to Live a Low-carbon Life by Chris Goodall except for the ferry emissions figure, which came from here.
If you remember, my holidays this year were in the Shetlands and I chose to get the overnight ferry rather than fly. The round trip was 420 miles, which produces 84 kg of CO2.
Gas: 90.44 kg
Electricity: 963 kg
Car: 1,552 kg
Rail: 31.56 kg
Ferry: 84 kg
Total CO2 use for the year: 2,721 kg, or 2.72 tonnes.
The average person in the UK directly produces 6 tonnes of CO2, and if we're ever going to get climate change under control then we need to get this down to 3 tonnes per person. Although I don't have any figures for food consumption above, my figures show that getting our emissions below that 3 tonnes per person figure can be done!
Figures for average UK energy use and CO
4 comments:
off now to see how we compare to average household on gas and electric- hope the result isn't too scary
ok results not too bad- gas 10,358
electric 4454 ( that's combined total for home and the studio_ separate 3 room building in the garden- where we run the business from )
we're down 7.5% on electric last year
and down 18.9% gas last year!!!!!! actually quite chuffed with that- now can i shave a further 10% off this coming year ???
Well done on the reductions. I can't imagine trying to corrall a whole family into saving another 10% - I'd constantly be on the warpath looking for plugged-in chargers and hi-fi's on standby.
And yes, I'm showing my age by using the term Hi-Fi!
Interesting stuff - thanks once again. Following your example, I've been recording our business energy use more closely and now have enough data for a quarterly summary. Will put it on the top of the to do list!
Happy New Year
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