Student Post: Differences between American and Irish Household Energy Uses

In the current climate in which we find ourselves in the US, there seems to be a trend toward reducing consumption of energy and installing energy efficient appliances and systems that require less energy. In Europe, it seems that people have been more energy conscious for a very long time. In Ireland, for example, where my wife spent a good part of her life, energy was an area where people tried very hard to reduce their consumption. In Ireland, people rarely, if ever use a dryer to dry their clothes; they still hang their clothes to dry. In fact, many of the dryers that are found in Ireland leave a lot to be desired by American standards. Drying your clothes in an Irish dryer has about the same force as having an asthmatic breathe hot air on your damp clothing.

There are a number of ways in which energy efficient methods are found in the average Irish home. One way people dry their clothes is by hanging them in racks placed in the same closet as the water heater and furnace. In this way, the residual heat from the furnace and water heater heats the room and dries clothing.

Another interesting difference between Irish and American household energy uses regards hot water consumption. In the US, we have large hot water heaters that keep a large supply of hot water hot all the time. In Ireland, this is not the case. In Ireland there is what is known as an immersion, which is a water heater that heats water for smaller uses. When you want a shower in Ireland you must turn the immersion on to bath which heats a larger quantity of water. This practice is outlined in a rather funny routine by Des Bishop an Irish-American comedian in the following clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52bna-tn_dY (warning-there is some adult language).

Recently, Electric Ireland announced that it would introduce a new “low user standing charge” where households that used less than two units of electricity per day would be subject to a fee of some 15 cents or some 60 Euros a year. (See the following link: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/esbs-low-usage-fee-will-hit-mostly-holiday-homes-3032901.html) This charge will affect mostly homes that are left vacant and holiday homes. This charge is levied, according to Electric Ireland, in order to make up for losses due to reading meters and other service costs. I had never heard of such a thing, and found it odd. I found that there is the same thing in the US.