We’re back and Rioting again. I’ll again keep last year’s averages (calculated here) visible as a baseline. I use this calculator.
Gasoline. Well, there’s no way around it: Amie and I flew to Belgium – our first visit in 3 years – and I’m counting it as driving there, and back. I’m using our own cars’ consumption as a guide to how many gallons that is.
8.83 gallons per person (pp) in cars + 115.5 gallons pp on airplanes + 20 miles pp on public transport
=Â 302 % of the US National Average
(Last year’s yearly average: 24.8%)
Electricity. We’re still holding steady on this one.
354 KWH (all wind) = 10 % of the US National Average
(Last year’s early average: 18.2%)
Heating Oil and Warm Water. It’s finally winter and it shows in the numbers. The oil burner warms our place to 58F at night, and during the day we use the woodstove to keep it around 60F (I’m still not counting because we still haven’t used up that cord). On some days this month, however, it went down to 10 F and it took the stove and the oil burner to keep the house warm. We keep the Annex, which is not in use, at 45F with the oil burner. Our warm water too is heated with oil.
67.15 gallons = 109 % of the US National Average
(Last year’s yearly average: 77%)
Trash. We’re doing well on this one too.
5 lbs pp = 4 % of the US National Average
(Last year’s yearly average: 7.3%)
Water. This went down but of course two of the inhabitants we missing for half of the month. We’re keen on bringing this down to 10% and it should be possible. Toilet flushing, however “selective”, and showers, however short, are the weak points to address in the Spring (rain water holds the answer).
406 gallons of water pp = 14 % of the US National Average
(Last year’s yearly average: 16.5%)
Consumer Goods. Our main purchases in December were a camera and an aquarium (with accouterments) for Amie – I’m curious to see how much electricity the water heater and the filter consume.
$250 = 30 % of the US National Average
(Last year’s yearly average: 27.2%)