Riot for Austerity – Months 17 and 18

Riot for Austerity fist with Thermometer

Wew, it’s May 2 already, over two months since I reported on our Riot.I’ll average March and April (Mapril). Last year’s averages (calculated here) are mentioned as a baseline. I use this calculator.

Gasoline.

12.66 gallons per person (pp) in cars + 10 miles pp on public transport

= 31 % of the US National Average

(Last year’s yearly average: 24.8%)

Electricity. Our electricity bills are high for these months because of the growing lights and heat mat. I’ll be happy to turn them off as soon as the new hoop house is up and running hot.

631 KWH (all wind) =  17 % of the US National Average

(Last year’s early average: 18.2% – we only switched to wind in the middle of the year)

Heating Oil and Warm Water. Finally going down. (Also our warm water is heated with this oil.)

23.8 gallons =  39 % of the US National Average

(Last year’s yearly average: 77%)

Trash. The usual.

3 lbs pp = 2 % of the US National Average

(Last year’s yearly average: 7.3%)

Water. We’re way above our usual average, which is around 14-16%), because seeds and seedlings and newly planted bushes and trees need a lot of water, and we are (still!) trying to establish a small lawn in the back (it’s been a dry couple of months). I had only one rain barrel set up for a while and several beds already in operation, it emptied too quickly and a dry spell kept it empty for too long, to my liking. We have added a second one in the meantime and hope to fit our waterworks into our busy schedule so we can hook up the other two.

628.3 gallons of water pp = 21 % of the US National Average

(Last year’s yearly average: 16.5%)

Consumer Goods. All of our purchases were towards the garden this month, so I won’t count them (good, because we spent quite a bit, what with timber and new plastic for the new hoop house, compost, etc).

$0 = 0% of the US National Average

(Last year’s yearly average: 27.2%)

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2 Comments

  1. Even if you’re over in some things some times, you are aware and conscientious about it! I appreciate the link to the calculator, as I’m going to take a look at some things for our first year here. That will help.

    The photos of the robin are great too.

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