One option is to use alternative power sources such as solar or wind power. That is all well and good but will take a significant time and monetary investment on my part to change my home. I live with my husband and two kids in a very old house (built in 1910) in Midtown Atlanta and bringing solar power to it without changing the history and character of the house will take some creativity.
So baby steps...what can I do today to make a difference?
I found my answer on the Georgia Power web site which I visited to see what tips and information they could offer Georgians. There I found that Georgia Power has a Green Energy program that will:
- Potentially reduce the environmental impact of energy production
- Conserve our natural resources
- Support domestic energy self-reliance
According to the Georgia Power Web site:
Green Energy is electricity produced in an environmentally friendly manner. Sources of green energy can include the sun, wind, water, biomass and geothermal. The use of these sources can reduce overall emissions from electricity generation. This makes renewable electricity technologies among the cleanest while having the least impact on the environment.And How Much Does It Cost for this Program?
Well it isn't exactly cheap. According to the Georgia Power Web site:
Although renewable sources like sunlight and wind are free, the technology used to capture the energy they produce is still more expensive than traditional power generation methods. Additionally, the renewable sources have relatively low availability. For example, the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine. Increased demand for Green Energy may lead to expanded power production capacity and eventually to lower costs.Makes sense...so here's the skinny on the cost:
Georgia Power's Green Energy is sold to residential customers in
100-kilowatt-hour blocks per month for a 12-month period. (100 kwh corresponds to roughly 10 percent of an average monthly residential consumer's bill). Each block adds $4.50 (plus tax) to a customer's monthly power bill. Customers may buy as many blocks as they like.
How Many 100-kilowatt-hour Blocks Should I Buy?
I checked my latest Georgia Power bill and it looks like we used 1527 kwh in February and 1635 kwh in January. Hmm, I don't think I can afford to buy 15 or 16 blocks per month - that would increase my bill by more than $75 per month. I think I will start with 4 blocks per month which, with tax, will increase my bill by about $25 per month. It's a start anyway...
Join me in signing up for Georgia Power's Green Energy Program. Here's the link to sign up for residential service:https://customerservice.southerncompany.com/corporate/green_residential_signup.asp
If you are a business and you want to sign up, you can use this link:
https://customerservice.southerncompany.com/corporate/green_commercial_signup.asp
I will report back and let you know how Georgia Power's Green Energy Program is working for me!
1 comment:
The reason we haven't gone greener initially is because of the threat to our capitalist economy; by supporting major companies like Georgia Power to help the environment, we are supplying them with more ammo to monopolize. Not many people have the disposable income to drastically alter their lifestyles in this fashion. While it is good to go greener, I would suggest not letting a powerful corporation take advantage of our market. Use your buying power to help smaller businesses that specialize in alternative technology innovation (just one smaller business as an example, this one specializes commercially but will probably do residential projects in the near future); and you will not only find that in the long-run you are saving money by going greener, you will help our U.S. economy in the long-run as well, not to mention helping the environment!
Remember Andrew Carnegie, author of "Wealth." A self-made captain of industry, who believed that if you work hard enough you will achieve success, and once you achieve your wealth, you give back to your community. He donated millions of dollars to public libraries, built the magnificent Carnegie Hall, and also established Carnegie Mellon in Pennsylvania.
We are at a day of age where, sadly enough, we have been brainwashed by our capitalist society. Give back to your community, help your local small businesses rather than feeding the big ones that are ruining us.
Thanks for reading,
Woefully yours,
Bethany :)
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