In my last post How cold is it in Europe ? noted that we allow people to freeze to dead in the cold, while we happily waste energy and this is a thermometer of our humanity.
I also said that a gas valve is a thermometer for a geographic region, and it's been suggested I expand on this a little - (It sounds a little weird after all).
OK - So we can see - in this snapshot from the kWIQly Free Weather Service that the USA leads the world with 2806 weather stations (in the NOAA list ) , while Columbia has 47 and Guadeloupe has 1.
Energy use is related to wealth with citizens of Bangadesh in Asia using around twice their own weight in Oil per year, whereas Americans (ie USA not North America as a whole) use 77 times their body weight of oil.
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To put this in context a strong Bangladeshi can carry all the energy he uses in a year on his back in the form of oil by making two or three trips.
An average American would need more than four trips in a HumVee to carry his oil !
So - we are all used to criticizing excessive American energy use, but where it is cold or hot the figures are more astounding. In Iceland we are talking nearly 50% more than the US (for the planet it is a good thing not may people live in Iceland !) - Note: I liked every Icelander I have met so far !
So imagine each person has a fuel supply (like the gas valve I mentioned) - if they are poor they use less over all, but rich or poor when people need heating (or cooling) they use more.
In this sense the rate you use energy represents your local weather conditions, and your wealth. You may be always efficient like the third world, or always demanding , but in either case your rate of energy use (the position of your personal gas valve) is a thermometer for your weather.
At kWIQly we use recorded consumption rates (Smart Meters) and Weather Data to analyse how your energy use can be reduced - (without sacrificing comfort).
