Time-Poor, Deteriorating Relationships, and Stress Dealing with Energy Constraints
Ten days ago, we started the challenge to halve our electricity usage. To remind you of the context: I live with five other girls, and we liked to cook our food separately. The kitchen is the main focus of this journey.
Our average electricity use at the start of this experiment was 15,11 kWh.
Getting from 15,11 kWh to 10,67 kWh
Trying to halve our electricity use has been interesting, to say the least. By the tenth day, our average electricity use dropped to 10,67! However, this number is still higher than what we aimed for. Let’s take a look at the constraints.
What worked?
While the promise of Pizza by the end of the experiment is enticing enough for others, it seems like the main motivators were inexplicit:
- The high projected electricity bill by the end of the month. We are all new in Milan and thus unfamiliar with how much electricity costs. With how convenient the appliances are, it’s very easy to forget the cost of small things that we do day to day. On the second night, we gathered at the table and calculated the projected electricity bill based on what we spent so far. The result is 3x higher than expected!
- Checklists that are always available for everyone to see. We kept the basic guideline on the fridge, but we also had a roster that we fill every day. Once a person used the microwave, they marked the card. This meant that only one other person that day got to use the card. As everyone’s names were mentioned, you could see who uses the most days — this created accountability.
- Social pressure. It seems like the most effective enforcement is the one that’s left unsaid. When everyone gathered in the main living room, there was some hesitancy in using the kitchen (especially for yourself). The gathering acted as natural surveillance.
What didn’t?
There were some constraints:
- Our schedules are too different. Sometimes only one person stayed home, and this meant that would have to cook for themselves regardless.
- The difference in budget and taste. A girl, in particular, hated oregano and loved to put traditional Indonesian chilli in everything — including pasta. She was outvoted by everyone, but she ended up cooking for herself a couple of times. She admitted she would go with the rule, but would rather not in the long run.
- Stress and deadlines erode our commitment. The first days were easy. But when we started having deadlines and pulled all-nighters, people’s priorities shifted. Getting to eat in under 5 minutes is more important than the rule that others enforced on you.
Managing Relationships under Pressure
When there is a rule, there are bound to be conflicts. When conflicts are unspoken, they often exacerbate. But when the issue is money (food budget, in this case), and the actors are Indonesians that tend to avoid conflict, it’s a little bit complicated.
In some instances, we had to compromise on our food budget and menu. Some girls paid more than others but didn’t ask for the money to avoid conflict. They admitted that as the arrangement was short-term, it didn’t seem worth it to bring it up.
Those who are Energy Poor Experience A Lot Worse, Every Day
When deadlines, assignments, and other priorities took place, it was immensely hard to keep going. I have only experienced a fraction of living with less energy; the stark difference between this experiment and those who are actually energy poor is that the whole time, I had always had a choice. They didn’t.
Those who are energy poor choose between one necessity and the next. They are often struggling with:
- Poverty. A lot of those who are energy poor live under the poverty line. They have to balance all of their necessities while striving to earn more.
- Time poverty. They spend a lot of time trying to make ends meet, and thus have little time for their well-being, mental health, and relationship with their loved ones.
- Children. In the case of New Zealand (a country whose energy poverty our group is studying), those who are with children suffer more from energy poverty. Children are vulnerable, and at times, adults had to choose between their own well-being and the well-being of their children.
To conclude…
While ten days are not enough to understand the lived experience of the energy poor, I’ve experienced a little taste of what it means to struggle with energy. Energy poverty is urgent. For a lot of people out there, this is not hypothetical; it’s their day-to-day. While it takes a massively complicated solution to make a systemic change, we can all help by lessening our energy use.
Thank you.
