October 31, 2013

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Yesterday was relatively mild — but it was also drizzly, a bit muggy and quite windy.

My electricity consumption went up — which is always a mystery to me at this time of the year because it seems to be so inexplicable.

Anyway, today's meter reading is between 12208 and 12209. Yesterday's reading was 12198 so my consumption was 10½ kWh. That's an increase of 31% over the previous 24 hours, and it is 50% higher than this day last year.

October 30, 2013

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Yesterday was a generally mild — and overcast — day. There may have been some light rain in some areas, but I never saw any.

Overnight, though, we apparently got some rain. It wasn't raining when I got up, but I could tell that the street was wet and the ground outside my apartment was damp so I know we got some rain last night.

And rain is definitely in the forecast for today.

This morning's meter reading is 12198. Yesterday's reading was 12190 so consumption remained in single digits (8 kWh), where it has been most of this month.

That's the same consumption level I had yesterday — and it is also the same consumption level I had on this day in 2012.

October 29, 2013

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Yesterday was a little bit warmer than the day before, and today is expected to be a little bit warmer than it was yesterday.

But by the end of the week, temperatures are expected to start dropping again.

My electricity consumption dropped in the last 24 hours.

This morning's meter reading is 12190. Yesterday's reading was 12182. Consumption was 8 kWh, which is a 20% drop from the day before.

And compared to this day in 2012, it is also a 20% drop.

October 28, 2013

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My electricity consumption went up, but I don't think it had anything to do with the weather, which was pretty much the way it has been for the last couple of weeks.

I was home most of the day. I used the oven to cook some lunch. I had my TV on all day, watching football and the World Series. It didn't raise my consumption much — but, at this level, it doesn't take much to make the increase seem huge.

Anyway, today's meter reading is 12182. Yesterday's reading was 12172, which means my consumption was 10 kWh. That isn't much, but consumption went up about 25% from the previous 24 hours.

And it is exactly the same as my consumption on this day in 2012.

October 27, 2013

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If the forecasts are correct, it will be a little warmer this week, then cooler next weekend. I doubt that I will need to use a lot of electricity, though.

The temperature was rather cool yesterday, then we got some rain last night, and the temperature is around 60° this morning. Ordinarily, I guess my electricity consumption would have been about the same as the day before, but I was home much of the day yesterday. It was Saturday, and I watched a lot of football — and a good bit of the third game of the World Series — and I did some cooking, all of which appears to have raised my consumption — but not into double digits.

This morning's meter reading is 12172. Yesterday's reading was 12164 so consumption was 8 kWh. That is a 23% increase over the previous 24 hours.

And it is 14% higher than this day in 2012.

October 26, 2013

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I was in the newsroom all afternoon yesterday so I really don't know what the weather was like.

But I imagine it was pretty close to the forecast — cool temperatures (upper 60s, possibly low 70s). The temperature last night was in the 50s.

Whatever the temperatures were, my electricity consumption went down a little.

This morning's meter reading is 12164. Yesterday's reading was between 12157 and 12158 so my consumption was 6½ kWh. That is a drop of a little more than 7% compared to the previous 24 hours.

And it is nearly 24% lower than my consumption on this day last year.

October 25, 2013

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I was in class or in the newsroom most of the afternoon yesterday so I really don't know firsthand what the weather was like.

But I gather that it was a lot like the day before — maybe a degree or two cooler. Today's temperature is expected to be in the upper 60s, maybe as high as 70° — and we have a 50% chance of rain tomorrow.

This morning's meter reading is between 12157 and 12158. Yesterday's reading was between 12150 and 12151 so my consumption was 7 kWh. That's about the same as it was in the previous 24 hours — actually, it's a drop of almost 7%.

And it is 53% lower than this day in 2012.

October 24, 2013

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It was a little warmer yesterday than it has been. The temperature actually got into the low 80s.

My electricity consumption went up about 25%. This morning's meter reading is between 12150 and 12151. Yesterday's meter reading was 12143 so my consumption in the last 24 hours was 7½ kWh. That is an increase of, as I say, about 25%.

But it was nearly 32% lower than this date in 2012.

October 23, 2013

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The pattern continued yesterday. The daytime high was in the mid–70s and the low was in the mid–50s.

More of the same is expected for the next seven days, and I expect my electricity usage to remain about the same — with modest fluctuations up or down.

This morning's meter reading is 12143. Yesterday's reading was 12137. Consumption was 6 kWh, which is a drop of 25% compared to the previous 24 hours.

And it is more than 57% less than my consumption on this day in 2012.

October 22, 2013

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My new memory card came in yesterday, and it seems to work just fine.

Now I can document my meter reading photographically again.

Yesterday was a lot like recent days — mild temperature during the day, chilly temperature at night.

This morning's meter reading is 12137. Yesterday's reading was 12129 so consumption was 8 kWh. That's an increase of about 14% over the previous 24 hours.

And, because the area experienced a hot front (temps around 90°) this time last year, it is a decrease of about 62% from this date in 2012.

October 21, 2013

I'm hoping the memory card comes in this week. Until then, though, these posts will have to go without photos.

It was another day like the others of late — perhaps a little warmer. I think the temperature may have been in the low 70s yesterday, and it was probably in the 50s last night.

This morning's meter reading is 12129. Yesterday's reading was 12122 so consumption was 7 kWh, which is an increase of nearly 17%.

But consumption on this day last year was 13½ kWh, which is nearly double.

October 20, 2013

I'm still waiting for my new memory card. Since today is Sunday, I know I won't have a photo to post until at least Tuesday morning, probably later.

The weather has been consistently mild. My guess is the temperature remained in the 60s during the day yesterday and dipped into the 40s during the night.

This morning's meter reading is 12122. Yesterday's reading was 12116 so consumption was 6 kWh — no change from the day before and 20% lower than this day last year.

October 19, 2013

I hope my memory card arrives soon. I like having pictures attached to these posts as verification of what I report.

For now, though, I have to do without.

Yesterday was another mild, bordering on cold, day. Highs were in the low 70s, and the low last night apparently was in the mid–40s. More of the same is expected today.

I kept the heat off last night, and my electricity consumption remained in single digits.

This morning's meter reading is 12116. Yesterday's reading was 12110. Consumption was 6 kWh, which is a 50% increase over the previous 24 hours, but it is a 20% drop compared to this day last year.

October 18, 2013

I'm still waiting for my memory card. Hopefully, it will come in soon, and I can return to posting photos of my meter.

I'm still monitoring my meter each day, and it has been showing a steady streak of single–digit consumption days. Today's is the lowest one yet, and I'm unable to figure out why it is so low.

This morning's meter reading is 12110. Yesterday's reading was 12106 so my consumption was only 4 kWh. That's nearly 56% lower than the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly 58% lower than my consumption on this day last year.

October 17, 2013

Still waiting for my memory card — so still no photo today.

The temperature has dropped considerably. Yesterday, the high was in the 60s, and it got cold last night — upper 40s.

My electricity consumption remained in single digits, but it was higher than the day before. At this level of consumption, a variation of only 1 or 2 kWh is a large shift.

Yesterday's meter reading was 12097. This morning's reading is 12106. Therefore, consumption was 9 kWh, which is actually an increase over the day before. It's only an increase of 3 kWh, but that is a 50% jump.

And it is 20% higher than this day in 2012.

October 16, 2013

Well, it's going to be at least a little while before I can post photos again. I've ordered a memory card for my digital camera. I had no choice — the camera is too old, and the kind of memory card I need isn't kept in stock anymore.

So I'll be posting the readings without photographs until I get the memory card — which supposedly will be next week sometime.

It rained much of the day yesterday. In the morning, the temperature was in the 70s, but it dropped into the 60s in the afternoon and into the 50s last night. I expected a low electricity consumption level when I checked the meter this morning.

This morning's meter reading is 12097. Yesterday's meter reading was 12090. Consumption was 6 kWh. That's down by one–third compared to the previous 24 hours.

And it's down one–fourth compared to this day in 2012.

October 15, 2013

Sorry. No picture today. Apparently, my memory card got wet in yesterday's drizzle, and I need to replace it.

But I checked the meter and the reading was 12090. Yesterday's reading was 12081 so consumption was 9 kWh. That is a drop of 10% over the previous 24 hours.

Last year on this date, my consumption was 14½ kWh so it's down by nearly 38% compared to 2012.

October 14, 2013

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Yesterday was quite different from Saturday.

I'm pretty sure the temperature never got out of the 70s, and my air conditioning didn't run all day (I really hope we are entering a period of very low electricity consumption).

I expected to see a decrease in my consumption in the last 24 hours, and I was right. It's been raining around here this morning, which makes the photo a little difficult to read.

Nevertheless, this morning's meter reading is 12081. Yesterday's reading was 12071 so consumption was 10 kWh (I really hoped it would be in single digits). That's a drop of nearly 38% compared to the previous 24 hours.

And it is 23% lower than my consumption on this date in 2012.

October 13, 2013

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The temperature got into the 90s yesterday. Hopefully, that will be the last of that for awhile.

Yesterday's high was 93°, just four degrees short of the record for the date. I knew that the air conditioning ran some yesterday so I expected to see an increase in my electricity usage, and I was right.

Yesterday's meter reading was 12055. Today's reading is 12071 so consumption was in double digits — 16 kWh. That is nearly double my consumption in the previous 24 hours.

But, apparently, it was unseasonably warm on this date a year ago so consumption, compared to 2012, was down by nearly 16%.

October 12, 2013

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I don't know what conditions were like yesterday afternoon because I spent most of it in the newsroom.

But it was a warm and humid day, as far as I can tell. Judging from what I have heard from others, it may even have reached 90° at some point.

My electricity consumption doesn't reflect that, presumably because I switched off the air conditioning early this week. I know it never kicked on yesterday. It couldn't have.

But, if the temperature is around 90° today, and recent forecasts suggest that is a distinct possibility, I probably will. It is Saturday, and I will be home most of the day. If it gets hot in my apartment, I will run the air conditioning. And my daily consumption will be back in double digits, at least temporarily.

For now, though, my electricity consumption remains in single digits.

This morning's meter reading is 12055. Yesterday's reading was between 12046 and 12047 so consumption was 8½ kWh. Even without the air conditioning, that is about a 21% increase over the previous 24 hours.

But it is a 38% decrease compared to this day in 2012.

October 11, 2013

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Yesterday was a lot like the rest of the week — warm but not hot during the day, cool at night.

This morning, it is quite overcast, which delayed my daily excursion to photograph my meter. I was certain when I finally did check my meter that usage would remain in single digits, and I was right.

This morning's meter reading is between 12046 and 12047. Yesterday's reading was between 12039 and 12040 so consumption was 7 kWh. That is a drop of nearly 13% compared to the day before.

And it is nearly 18% below my consumption level on this day last year.

October 10, 2013

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I've had no complaints about the weather lately. Daytime highs have been in the low 80s the last few days, and the nighttime lows, which were in the 50s, apparently rose to the low 60s last night and may reach 70° for the next few nights.

There has been very little strain on my electricity consumption. When I went to read my meter this morning, I expected to find that, for four straight days, my consumption was in single digits. And I was right.

Today's meter reading is between 12039 and 12040. Yesterday's reading was between 12031 and 12032. Consumption was 8 kWh in the last 24 hours. As low as that is, it is still an increase of 23% over the previous 24 hours.

But it is 11% lower than my consumption a year ago today.

October 9, 2013

Yesterday was another mild October day here in Dallas. The high may have reached 82°. Last night's low was supposed to be in the 50s, as it has been for the last several nights.

Slightly warmer daytime highs and nighttime lows are expected for the next three or four days, then another cooldown is expected. But fluctuation isn't expected to be too dramatic.

Anyway, I expected another single–digit reading when I checked my meter this morning. And it was.

This morning's meter reading is between 12031 and 13032. Yesterday's reading was 12025 so my consumption was 6½ kWh. My usage went down nearly 28% in the last 24 hours.

And consumption is down nearly 18% compared to this day in 2012.

October 8, 2013

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Fall appears to have arrived — although I always have to provide something of a disclaimer when I say something like that in Texas.

I've lived through enough Texas summers to know that the heat is always a threat to return — for a day or two, sometimes more — until maybe Thanksgiving.

Right now, though, we're getting highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid– to upper 50s.

This morning's meter reading is 12025. Yesterday's reading was 12016 so consumption was 9 kWh, which is an increase of nearly 29% over the previous 24 hours. I don't really know why that is so. My air conditioning hasn't run since last week. All that has run is the usual appliances.

Last year on this day, consumption was 22 kWh — temperatures apparently were so cold that I needed to run my heat overnight — so, compared to a year ago, my consumption is 59% lower this year.

October 7, 2013

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It remained cool yesterday, and my electricity consumption remained in single digits.

Yesterday's meter reading was 12009. This morning's reading is 12016 so consumption was 7 kWh. That's a drop of more than 26% compared to the previous 24 hours.

And it is 30% less than my consumption on this date last year.

October 6, 2013

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I knew my electricity consumption would drop in the last 24 hours.

The temperature dropped about 30° during the day. We probably never got out of the 70s yesterday — if we ever got that warm. It may have been in the 60s all day, then dropped into the 50s last night.

This morning's meter reading is 12009. Yesterday's reading was between 11999 and 12000 so consumption was 9½ kWh. That's a drop of about 32%.

And, since consumption on this day last year was 10 kWh, my usage is almost exactly the same — a little lower, in fact — than it was on this date in 2012.

October 5, 2013

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I hope the weather forecasts are correct. It was in the 90s yesterday — but the forecasts suggest that we can expect temperatures in the 80s — even the 70s — for at least the next week.

Things do seem to be moving in the right direction.

This morning's meter reading appears to be between 11999 and 12000. Yesterday's reading was between 11985 and 11986. That's 14 kWh, a drop of 30% compared to the previous 24 hours.

And it is precisely the same as my consumption on this day in 2012.

October 4, 2013

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If the forecasters are correct, today could well be the last day of summer–like weather in 2013.

It is still expected to dip into the 60s tonight, be in the 70s tomorrow, Sunday and possibly Monday and be in the 50s Saturday and Sunday nights. That kind of forecast is always kind of difficult to swallow around here — after months of living through brutally hot Texas weather — but it always happens. You just never know when it will happen.

Based on my latest electricity consumption level (which is truly baffling to me because I was hardly home all day), I am more than ready for cooler temperatures.

I was indoors on campus for much of the day yesterday, but I heard that it was warm (but not hot) and humid.

This morning's meter reading is between 11985 and 11986. Yesterday's reading was between 11965 and 11966 so consumption — surprisingly — was up to 20 kWh, which is an increase of more than 48% compared to the previous 24 hours.

And it is double my consumption a year ago.

October 3, 2013

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I expect to spend a lot of time on campus today so I'm hoping that my electricity consumption will drop.

It was just warm enough around here yesterday to kick on my air conditioning late in the afternoon and into the evening, and it is expected to be like that today and tomorrow.

Then, if the forecasts are correct, temperatures will drop into the 70s over the weekend — and, hopefully, hot weather will be a thing of the past until sometime next year.

It is overcast this morning, which makes the photo hard to read, but this morning's meter reading is between 11965 and 11966. Yesterday's reading was 11952. Consumption in the last 24 hours was 13½ kWh — an 8% increase over the previous 24–hour period.

And because it was apparently so mild around here on this date last year, consumption is nearly 69% higher than it was in 2012.

October 2, 2013

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I keep hoping that this week will be summer's last gasp. Temperatures yesterday got into the 90s, and the same is expected for the rest of the week.

By Saturday, forecasts call for highs in the 70s to low 80s during the day — and into the 50s at night.

That is certainly encouraging, but I've lived here for many years — and I visited my grandparents here for many years before that — and I've seen summer–like temperatures well into October and even into November.

I'm hopeful — but realistic. Anyway, my electricity consumption went up yesterday.

This morning's meter reading is 11952. Yesterday's reading was between 11939 and 11940 so consumption was 12½ kWh. That's an increase of nearly 32% compared to the previous 24–hour period.

And it's an increase of 25% compared to this day in 2012.

October 1, 2013

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Yesterday was warmer than the day before, but the humidity was low.

When I checked the conditions around 4:30, the temperature was 87°, but the heat index was 84°, thanks to the fact that the humidity was well below 30%.

I don't know if that affected my electricity consumption. It got kind of humid last night, but the air conditioning never kicked on — at least while I was awake.

Anyway, for whatever reason, my consumption did go down slightly.

This morning's meter reading is between 11939 and 11940. Yesterday's reading was 11930 so my consumption was about 9½ kWh, a drop of about 5% compared to the previous day. I would attribute that to the time I spent away from home on campus.

And my consumption was lower than it was on this day last year. On Oct. 1, 2012, my usage was 11½ kWh so consumption went down more than 17%.