Boredworkers.com

A month back, we embarked on an experiment to see if we could cut our electricity consumption below the RM20 mark. That according to the Malaysian Budget 2009 would entitle us to free electricity for that month (or rather a waiver of the electricity bill for that month). As it turns out, the electricity usage experiment was an utter failure. Mostly due to me…

We identified all the high electricity consumption, the fixed consumptions, and areas where we could cut back. There was a plan in place. Unfortunately, despite of all our efforts, the experiment turned out badly. It went well for the first couple of weeks but I screwed things up after that. Due to work commitments, I ended up working overtime at home into the early mornings with the fan, lights and television switched on to keep me company. That went on for later half of the month which offset all the efforts we had put in at the beginning.

The final electricity bill came up to RM33.55. Slightly less than the month before but no where near the target we were aiming for. The result of the experiment is inconclusive. No doubt that we could cut back if we really put our hearts to it but that would require a whole lot of commitment and will power. The tendency for the average Joe to take electricity for granted is too great a factor to discount. It’s especially hard to break away from your everyday lifestyles and habits that you’ve grown used to over the years.

Our household usage is relatively low considering all the fixed consumption. In all fairness, our electricity usage is just about as efficient as it can get without sacrificing comfort. No doubt that it can be lower but I think I’ll leave this as it is. If someone from a middle class household manages to cut down electricity usage below RM20, do let us know :)