[HPFGU-OTChatter] Electricity

[Amber]

--- Rita Winston <catlady at wicca.net> wrote:
> So I want to ask all the Brits and Europeans and so on, are people 
> where you live always careful to turn off the lights when leaving a 
> room? Do you avoid applicances with remote controls (because the 
> device that listens for signals from the remote is always on (it has 
> to be on while the machine is off, or it couldn't receive the ON 
> command from the remote) and consuming a trickle of electricity? 
> Do you make a point of unplugging always-on appliances (like PCs) 
> when turning them off?

I don't live Europe, but went to Spain for two months to study the
Spanish language in the summer of 1999. I lived with a host family and
can definitely say that they were *very* careful with electricity.
Being a silly college student, I'd forget to turn off the lights (trust
me, I'm a hundred times more careful now). My host mother would follow
me around after I left a room and turn off the light. <grin> From what
I can remember, the apartment was mostly dark. Of course, the reason
was two-fold, it was also cooler to be in the dark.

The family I lived with didn't have a remote control for the
television. I'm not sure about the appliances. They did have a computer
but they turned it on only once while I was there. Also, in an
orientation before I went to Spain, I was told to take my showers as
quickly as possible since water cost a lot at the time.

Sometimes I think Americans take some things for granted. Or at least I
did before going over to Spain. I'd like to think that I'm more careful
and grateful now.

~Amber
 

=====
"Just between you and me
the world is cracking
don't look too closely
or you may see past the porcelain bowl..."

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