In message , Broadback
writes
Tony Bryer wrote:
On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 22:47:15 +0100 Tim Lamb wrote :
I suspect there is some doubtful thinking when a government minister
pontificates about how many power stations could be switched off if
only we would stop leaving electronic equipment on standby. I'll bet
they have forgotten that energy *wasted* is actually reducing space
heating requirements during the Winter.
It is, but for a lot of the time you don't have the heating on, and,
secondly, heat from electricity is reckoned to create twice the CO2
per kWh that mains gas does.
I had to smile at the "scientific" figures given on energy savings by a
well know presenter at the end of his recent series. It was like:
If you do this you will save 30%, if you do that you will save 20% and
so on. What was obvious was that each % given was the saving on your
original energy consumption, as soon as you moved to 2nd option the
saving would be lower as you would no longer be using as much energy.
Of course they also took off the biggest first. You will note that
when retailers give 2 discounts, say 20% then 10% the 10% is off the
reduced not original price.

Digressing even further.... I hate mixed statistics in the news media
such as *targeted saving of 10%* led to a reduction of 53! Unless you
know the original number or what %age 53 represents, the statement is
meaningless.

regards
--
Tim Lamb