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KICK THE HABIT
THE CYCLE – REDUCE
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tery-powered device reveals exactly how much electricity is being
used
, how
the cost of electricity per hour changes, and how much CO
2
the household is
producing. In the UK for example, each £100 (US$201) of electricity saved
at home means 500 kg of CO
2
avoided at the power station, and almost a
quarter of a tonne of fossil fuel saved.
Studies have shown that a single family can easily consume twice as much as their
next-door neighbours. When people in charge of their homes know their electricity
use is being monitored, if falls dramatically. In another study, where people were
given the chance of comparing their energy consumption with the same month in
the previous year or with their neighbours, the upshot was an energy saving of 5 per
cent. So keeping track of our energy consumption will very likely make us switch off
the lights when we leave the kitchen.
3 060
Combustion of one
tonne of crude oil
36
cing one kilogram
f (average)
17
Producing one kilogram
of beef in France
36
Running a 100 watt bulb
for 20 days
36
0 kilometre with
European car