This weekend I watched a show on PBS regarding tips for being better stewards of energy in your home. ‘Stewards of energy’ being my words, not theirs; but looking for a godly parallel in all things, this is exactly what it is. Almost everything we use in the home runs on energy of some sort be it electrical and manual. This show was very informative and practical. I learned a new phrase…phantom energy. Perhaps ‘phantom energy sappers’ would be more appropriate. The silent, unseen users of energy which contributes to our power bills without thought on our part.
I have long functioned as the self-appointed Electricity Sheriff in our home; this program caught my attention. If there is a way to save money and be a better steward of energy I will thankfully pay attention to learn about it. The phantom energy sappers are every where; we had several in our home! You probably do, too.
If you have a computer system, you most likely have a power strip with multiple plugs stuck in them. The power strip itself is a phantom energy sapper. We like having instant access to everything, thus the power strip is likely to stay on. We merely need turn a switch on a lamp, etc for that instant access. Instant access + power strip = $$. I have a power strip built-in on my kitchen work island. Admittedly, it stayed on more often than not because of the lamp on the island. Walk into my kitchen any night after bedtime and you will have enough little green lights on appliances to guide you like an airport landing strip. I have two ovens and a microwave, so we are a Plus Three in phantom sapper right there alone; throw in the island power strip and my kitchen keeps the electric meter turning 24/7. I can turn off the island strip but the ovens and microwave might require throwing a breaker to turn off; not very practical. I did stop using the clock/auto start function on my coffeemaker. It doesn’t kill me to wait a few minutes and only cost a split second of my time to plug back in.
The difficult part about regulating power strips is that we often have them out of sight because…well, they are unsightly. A little maneuvering can put them within toe reach, if nothing else. Let’s face it; it is far more painful to write out the ever rising light bill than it would be to situate our power strips where they could be turned off. Speaking of which, leaving your computer on all the time, even in hibernation mode, is a phantom energy sapper…..so, Honey, heads up, you’ll have to turn your power strip back on to use your computer tonight.
Ceiling fans were once a phantom energy sapper in our home. Many times I would find every fan in the house on, some in empty rooms. By empty, I mean no people. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. Night lights left on can be sappers. Having kids living here not too long ago we had night lights in their bedrooms and bath. Switched to the light activated ones; those pennies I saved may one day buy you lunch so don’t make fun of pennies saved. Now, I unplug them unless we have guest spending the night. It takes less than one second to plug in or unplug a sapper, hours to earn the money to pay the light bill. Do the math!
We fight other types of phantom energy sappers. Our spiritual energy is vital to our day to day life and yet we are not always very watchful about the things that drain us. Maybe it’s the lack of renewing our spiritual energy that does more harm. Scripture tells us to renew our minds and to guard out hearts daily.
Physical energy phantoms, such as stress, can drain our resources. Some stress sources are in plain sight but it’s the phantom sources that can sneak up on you. My Honey was telling me just yesterday that he realized a work situation was causing him stress and bringing on a headache while he was at home relaxing. It just snuck in while he wasn’t watching. Phantoms are called phantoms for a reason….you don’t see or notice them until it’s too late. Thus the need to be on guard, to diligently watch and monitor what goes on around us.
Here’s a suggestion for these phantoms in our lives. Put on your Energy Sheriff badge and walk around in and outside of your home. Take inventory in every room of potential phantom energy sappers and deal with them accordingly. This short inventory time can add up in savings…maybe then you can take me to lunch. Then, when you’ve satisfied your mind and conservation conscience that you are doing all you can to be a good steward, get down to the nitty-gritty and ask God to help you see where you are allowing spiritual energy sappers to drain you. He can reveal areas you might not think about because you are just used to having them around.
Look out, phantoms; we’re on to you now!
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