The benefit of global warming

@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
November 27, 2015 7:47am CST
Even though we often do not have hot sunny weather here in England, the overall temperature is above the levels of previous years. This was certainly highlighted today for me. I received an email from Scottish Power requesting my meter readings, which are entered online. My central heating is gas operated, which can be an expensive thing to run during the winter time. However, when I took the readings today I noticed that the gas consumption is significantly lower than the corresponding period last year. This of course will reflect in the bill that I receive. Our constant rainy days may be a nuisance, but at least they are cheaper than the cold days that we usually had.
18 people like this
19 responses
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
27 Nov 15
I felt really good about the weather last year, and our low need for heat due to warm weather. But then January came and it was freakishly cold until June. So, I pay at this end or that end, it doesn't ever come out in my favor.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
There is that possibility, but I am hoping that the warmer returns early.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (206224)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Nov 15
It's chilly as heck here in California. But I'll take it, as long we keep getting the occasional rain.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
You are certainly welcome to the rain, we get far more than our fair share here in England.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (206224)
• Walnut Creek, California
2 Dec 15
@Asylum So I've heard! Please send some along.
1 person likes this
@norcal (4890)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
2 Dec 15
Come on El Niño; bring on those storms!
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159359)
• Boise, Idaho
27 Nov 15
Maybe we are getting your normal weather here.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
If that is the case then you are certainly welcome to it.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159359)
• Boise, Idaho
27 Nov 15
@Asylum ...Yeah, thanks.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
27 Nov 15
That is about the only positive in the whole global warming thing. Of course our gas prices are way down so the savings are even greater.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
Our fuel prices have risen a few times, but I will still show a saving.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
27 Nov 15
@Asylum Well yes, you would by using less, we are using less and the prices are low we have a double savings.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
It's only in the last few days I've set the heating to come on in the morning. It's usually sometime towards the end of October that normally happens in my house.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
Yes, my heating became required much later in the year than usual, which certainly makes a difference. The next quarter may require everyday use, but the demand should fall earlier in 2016 than it did in 2015.
2 people like this
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
@Asylum I'm expecting a huge fall in usage throughout this winter and through the first six months of next year. This time last year my daughter was 'taking a year out' which was more like 'spending a year in' resulting in the heating being on all day every day. She's at university now so the heating is off most weekdays until about 4pm.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
@WorDazza I would keep that information from your energy supplier or they may raise the standing charge to compensate.
2 people like this
• United States
27 Nov 15
This is, of course, good news, but the extremes in weather that global warming cause do lots of damage. My gas and electric bills total about $60 per month throughout the year. How about yours?
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
I actually had to check my records for that, which turns out around £50 per month last year. This year looks like being a little lower.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
29 Nov 15
The cold days have only just arrived here so the elec bill will go up as the solar no longer heats the water. We had a good long run of hot days though which kept the house heated naturally.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
29 Nov 15
This is where solar power falls down, when we need the power most the production is very low.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
29 Nov 15
@Asylum It's handy for a good part of the year though. I wish the whole house was hooked up to it instead of just the water but the costs are exorbitant.
@inertia4 (27961)
• United States
27 Nov 15
Global warming might have some upsides, but in the long run, it will not be a good thing. It's either we will freeze or we will burn up in the heat.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
There is no denying that fact, but it will not happen during my lifetime.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
@inertia4 Even without global warming the Earth would eventually cease to be capable of supporting human life. If nothing else happens the Sun will burn out.
1 person likes this
@inertia4 (27961)
• United States
27 Nov 15
@Asylum Not mine either. And hopefully not may children's lifetime.
@Bluedoll (16774)
• Canada
2 Dec 15
There is always a brighter side to everything. Better to think about that. Global warming = beginning of an extermination of earths most nasty little destructive creatures
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
2 Dec 15
If the rate of global warming was slower then mankind would probably evolve accordingly, but not at the current and predicted future rate.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
2 Dec 15
@Bluedoll Aborting all current abuse of the environment would be unlikely to stop the process, but it would reduce the rate of progress by a vast degree.
@Bluedoll (16774)
• Canada
2 Dec 15
@Asylum It is not a very good outlook for a future. The children will thank us. I wonder what would happen if everything got completely shut off now. Would it make a difference or is it really too late? I know that is hypothetical since such a thing is impossible according to at least Richy Rich.
@LadyDuck (458730)
• Switzerland
27 Nov 15
Also our central heating is gas operated, I have noticed that the graph of our consumption is lower than last year, at leas a good thing from global warming.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
Sadly it does not reduce the bills as much as the consumption reduces because the companies boost the prices to compensate for falling profits.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
@LadyDuck So would this result in the fuel companies "Putin" the price up?
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458730)
• Switzerland
27 Nov 15
@Asylum So true and now with the Russia menacing (again) to stop the gas delivery we risk a price escalation.
@gudheart (12659)
28 Nov 15
Not done a gas reading on mine yet. worth checking I guess lol
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
28 Nov 15
I am in the fortunate position of have a full record of all meter readings for the past couple of years, which makes such comparisons easy to make.
@antonbunot (11091)
• Calgary, Alberta
3 Dec 15
So you do the reading? Here in Calgary a meter reader still does the job. This may be the reason why our gas consumption is expensive.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Dec 15
We do have meter readers here, but they do not visit the house every quarter. We often take our own readings to send to the company and a meter reader will call round at random to ensure that the readings have not drifted too far from the real figures.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
28 Nov 15
Let's hope that it stays that way too! We were in arctic conditions last Saturday with snow on the ground!!!!!
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
28 Nov 15
We have not seen any snow up North yet, so keep it down there were it belongs.
1 person likes this
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
3 Dec 15
The mild autumn has helped , but I doubt we can rely on these in future
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Dec 15
Yes, the weather has been very mild despite the constant rain, which makes a big difference to the heating costs.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
9 Dec 15
@Auntylou It is getting quite cold here now, but it has started later than usual which definitely constitutes a saving.
1 person likes this
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
9 Dec 15
@Asylum We have been lucky here lately with not too much rain either. Turned the heating right down :o)
@topffer (42156)
• France
27 Nov 15
Same here, where the weather was quite hot until mid November. The crops are also better in Europe, while they are decreasing in Africa and South-America.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
This is the downside to it, while we benefit at present some countries are suffering from it.
1 person likes this
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
28 Nov 15
So you've a better chance of working on your sun tan, then? I'm hoping it goes opposite for me! I can survive a few fourty degree days in a row this summer without even a fan running, but anything more & we'll need to invest in refrigerative air-con & say hello to enormous electricity bills. I'm hoping for colder winters - nice big fireplace heats the whole house quickly & firewood for me is now free!
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
28 Nov 15
I had a few 40 degree days in Turkey earlier this year. I like to be warm but that temperature is just too severe.
• China
28 Nov 15
"It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good",Good for you ! can save some money now .However I differ with you on this matter ,now I have to pay more electricity bill than used to in summer for air-conditioning operating .
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
28 Nov 15
I never use air conditioning, so that is not a problem to me.
1 person likes this
@paigea (35716)
• Canada
27 Nov 15
Global warming can't seem to keep up to the rise in price around here.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Nov 15
That is an inevitable problem. Using less fuel reduces the profits for energy companies, who in turn raise the prices. This way you can require less fuel but still pay the same amount of money.
1 person likes this
• New Delhi, India
10 Dec 15
Poetry is the shadow cast by our streetlight imaginations.