by Scott Ranck

Comfort is a relative thing. If you have ever watched the television show Survivor, comfort may be having a shelter overhead to keep you out of the rain or having a blanket is a luxury. In primitive times, our forefathers were happy to be out of the weather in a home that had four walls and maybe a fireplace but not much else.

In today’s world, our homes are built to create a totally different environment inside than outside. In Florida, we want to be cool and have low humidity, light and other conveniences at all times. Basically, the only reason you and I pay utility bills both electric and natural gas is because of this reality. We are paying to create our own inside environment that we consider comfortable. We pay utilities because we want different inside than what it is outside. And, the greater the difference, the greater your cost will be. If it is 95° and 90% humidity outside and you want it 75° and 50% humidity inside, there will be a cost to pay.

This is a great way to teach young people about energy costs. We are paying for the difference. The more we can tolerate less difference the less it will cost to operate our homes. This concept should help you see some of the ways that you can conserve energy and reduce your costs.

For more on this or any other energy related topic, contact your energy experts at Florida Public Utilities www.fpuc.com/energyexpert

Scott Ranck is the Conservation Program Coordinator & Energy Specialist for Florida Public Utilities. Feel free to e-mail any energy-related questions or comments to Scott at sranck@fpuc.com.