About half the CFLs I have bought are dead within 1-2 years even with minimal use. And they are not cheap. I've started using LEDs with good results so far, but they are very expensive.

Environmental Sustainability Coordinator?---I'll bet we would save a lot of taxpayer money if we eliminated these unnecessary bureaucratic positions. The public sector could easily fill this position.

I did an audit like this of our home several years ago. Some of the most eye-opening findings:

* A 2002-vintage "tower" PC used about 50 watts, nearly as much as our 15 cubic foot refrigerator.
* Our Comcast DVR was drawing about 40 watts and ran continuously. A newer version of the DVR which we got in 2010 when the old one failed uses about half as much energy.
* A HEPA air filter uses 70-130 watts depending on fan speed.
* Our seldom-used treadmill used 9 watts even when off.
* Electric space-heaters that we put in the bedroom in winter really caused our usage and bills to go up. We no longer use them.

The "public sector" has certainly had it's opportunity to fill this position...and yet, it never got done. But, somehow with this "unnecessary bureaucratic position" things are getting done. Amazing! Does not sound so unnecessary to me.

The CFLs and other voltage sensitive appliances will burn out quickly given a diet of the abysmal quality electric service provided by PG&E. The service is rarely within specs and any and all complaints are answered from Mumbai by a non-English speaker using a "trouble-shooting tree" template to handle the call. I spent a week attempting to report a failing transformer with accompanying wild fluctuations in voltage and frequency, to no avail. After it blew, the linesman replacing it admitted, "We don't do any maintenance until it fails completely." I have all of our computers and LAN, including TV and ancillaries on UPCs. The UPCs often signal non-spec input, sometimes several times in one evening. I have lived in Third World countries that offered better electrical service.

To:Fed Up

There you go again revealing your progressive religious beliefs
and in this case showing your Government-Will-Save-Us naiveté and your "I know best" Moveon.org lack of common sense and your oh-so-typical herd opinions that aren't even your original thinking because you only believe
What the progressive doctrine tells you.

You'd jump at the chance to be in charge of a re-education camp.

Thank you for being so typical

Did you actually READ the article?

Are you actually a real person? Your answer is a bit crazy! You may wish to read it as well (maybe next time, before you hit submit)