Could you live unplugged?

Do we really need a refrigerator, or is it up there with television sets, ipods, and stereos?

How did our ancestors survive through centuries without that contraption called the fridge? They canned, dried, and pickled. They stored items in the root cellar or in the basement where it’s cooler.

There is a green movement against refrigerators. According to this movement, refrigerators are an unacceptable drain on energy. Supporters are giving up their ice boxes and the lifestyle that goes with them. Most say that once the withdrawal symptoms vanish, they adapt easily to their new fridge-free lifestyle. And they sure don’t miss the constant humming their fridge used to make.

The fridge-free idea has generated interest in Western Europe to the point where scientists at Oxford University in England rejuvenated the “Einstein refrigerator,” a pressurized gas refrigerator that runs without using electricity.

Misconceptions to Going Fridge-Free

• A common myth is that refrigerators use up more energy than any other appliance in the home, other than those used for heating and cooling. People are surprised to find that this isn’t the case. Marty O’Gorman, vice president of Frigidaire, said an 18-cubic foot Energy Star-rated Frigidaire refrigerator uses about 380 kilowatt-hours a year, which is less than a standard clothes dryer, and costs a homeowner $40, or about 11 cents per day. He goes on to say that downsizing to a dorm sized fridge – Frigidaire’s smallest minifridge, from a standard model, would result in only about $6 in energy savings over a year.
• The founder of Energy Efficiency Experts, Pascale Maslin, said people may focus undue attention on the refrigerator’s energy consumption simply because they often hear, incorrectly, that it uses more energy than any other appliance. This Washington-based company conducts energy audits on homes and other buildings.
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A day without using plastic has already turned out to be very difficult. What about just one evening off the grid?

Well sure, most of us have been through a power outage or blackout before. Even without food or water, no one is going to lose it in just one evening. But let’s take this a bit more seriously. How we make it through one evening can say a lot about how we’d make it under more dire circumstances.

Let’s assume that I live in the city; no solar panels, no well water, I am sucking all my energy off the grid. But, for just one evening, there is no grid.

In a word association exercise, “Candles!” is probably what we’d all blurt out when cued Blackout. And yes, I have plenty of candles and a flashlight for any reconnaissance work. So lighting is taken care of for the evening. Beyond that?

Next I’d need to worry about food and water. Currently I have some extra five gallon jugs of water so that is no problem. And I try to keep a good stock of fresh vegetables around (thank you farmer’s market!). I also have a small propane camping stove that could make it through an evening or two.

Heat would be a whole other issue, a big one. Even here in the desert it is currently cloudy, rainy, and pushing closer to freezing temps every night. I have no fireplace, no wood stove — just candles and a typical electric heating system. Not good. (more…)

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Remember the old days when you had to have those really big speakers in order to be able to hear the music in more than one room? Sound systems have come a long way, and perhaps the best feature we can now enjoy is full-house surround sound. If a new sound system is on your wish list this year, then here are a few tips to maximize its enjoyment to the full potential.

Modern sound systems work wiring speaker wires throughout a house so that every room can have speakers if desired. Each room will have a tiny speaker in the corner. All you have to do with your new sound system is to plug it into a central port and you’re good to go. The great part about installing your system this way is that you can enjoy your music anywhere at anytime. You can even run speakers out to your patio or backyard. (more…)

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