Hiding Under the Covers

No, I'm not trying to keep warm, I'm really hiding. Hiding from the reality that my efforts seem to be going in the wrong direction. Our latest gas and electric bills showed no reduction and I know our trash output is greater than it was a year ago. I am also putting more miles on the car than I expected. What happened?

Well, I peeked out from under the covers to try and justify my backsliding and found that small changes don't mean as much as they did before. Also, my focus has been more on changing systems that lifestyle, and it appears the systems have been optimized as much as possible. Now it seems I am holding my own but prices and consumption are slowly increasing and it hides the progress we've been making. Yes, 'it could've been worse.'

What next? I am no longer depending on my own cunning and am now doing a little research. The energy-savings book the power company auditor gave me now lives in the bathroom where I review ideas during each visit. They ask questions I hadn't thought of like, "Do you need the outdoor lights on all night?" I had been leaving all the outdoor lights on until sunrise, just in case we were to leave the house before sunrise. It never occurred to me that I could just turn on the lights if we leave early.

I need bigger ideas, though. I guess it's time to add the additional insulation to the attic, an effort I have been avoiding for years. It is a DIY project? I hope not.