One of my favorite pastimes is watching reruns of the Andy Griffith Show. This comedy first aired in the 1960s starring Andy Griffith as a small town sheriff in the fictitious town of Mayberry. The show was loosely based on the town of Mount Airy, NC, which is about a 5-minute drive from my home.
I love these shows because it’s good, clean humor with an occasional lesson to be “learnt” but what can we learn from Mayberry about modern energy use? Sometimes the simple lessons are the hardest to learn.
Here’s an example from Mayberry. Barney is Andy’s deputy and rents a room in Ms. Mendlebright’s boarding house. She discovered that Barney is not only cooking in his room, but is also an energy hog:
Ms. Mendlebright: Oh Mr. Fife, how could you?
Barney: So I cooked a little. Is that so terrible?
Ms. Mendlebright: It’s not only your cooking Mr. Fife. This is a 75-watt bulb and the rule is no bulbs over 40 watts. And you keep it on all night.
Barney: Well I’m studying if you must know.
Ms. Mendlebright: I’ve seen you sleeping with it on.
Barney: Snoop, Snoop!
Ms. Mendlebright: You’re afraid of the dark.
Barney: Bulb snatcher!
If you’re familiar with our Energy Best Practices guidelines, then you know that many of those suggestions are common sense but are not commonly practiced. It takes a combined effort and continued attention to these practices to save 5-10% of your energy usage. By making energy conservation a part of everyone’s job, you can eliminate wasteful practices and identify the “Barney’s” of the workplace. If you’re interested in learning more about our conservation guidelines, visit our website.