June 28, 2013

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By lunch time yesterday, the temperature was in the 90s. The forecast for the day was a high of 102° and a heat index of 107°.

I don't know if it got quite that hot yesterday. At 4 p.m., NOAA reported a temperature of 100° and a heat index of 106°. That's close enough for me. All I know is that it was hot — and it is supposed to be worse tomorrow.

But forecasters say we're in for a cool front on Sunday. Temperatures will drop into the low 90s — 89° on Monday and Tuesday, they say — which isn't bad for Texas a few days before the Fourth of July. Conventional wisdom around here is that it usually is in triple digits by the Fourth of July — and that has typically been my experience, too — but if this forecast is correct, we might stay several degrees below 100° on that holiday this year. Currently, the forecast for the day before is 93°.

But that is still way off in the future. A week is an eternity as far as Texas weather forecasts are concerned — and my immediate concern is day to day. If the temperature does drop below 90° on Monday and Tuesday, that will be great — but I have to get through today (and the weekend) first.

Today's meter reading is 9711. Yesterday's reading was between 9680 and 9681. Usage was 30½ kWh, same as the day before.

That's another decline compared to the same day last year. On this date in 2012, my consumption was 39½ kWh so consumption went down a little more than 20%.

June 27, 2013

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All week, the forecasts have been telling us to expect triple–digit temperatures today through the weekend. It's the kind of forecast that has a way of coming true, and this one certainly seems to be well on its way.

At 2 p.m. yesterday, the temperature was 95°, and the heat index was 101°. It crept upward through the rest of the afternoon. By 4 p.m., the temperature was 97° with a heat index of 104°. I don't know if it reached the forecast high of 99°.

The next three days are supposed to be in triple digits.

Looking back at last year's post on this date, this area was in the grip of a triple–digit heat wave, too, but I'm doing a better job of managing my consumption this year.

This morning's meter reading is between 9680 and 9681. Yesterday's reading was 9650 so consumption was 30½ kWh.

That is an increase of more than 27% over the previous 24 hours.

However ...

On this date last year, my consumption was 47 kWh. Therefore, when compared to this time a year ago, my consumption dropped more than 35%.

June 26, 2013

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At 4:30 yesterday afternoon, the temperature was 97° and the heat index was 100°. Worse is expected through the weekend, and there is no chance for rain in sight.

Considering how hot it was yesterday, I was stunned by what I found when I checked my meter this morning.

Today's meter reading is 9650. Yesterday's reading was 9626. Consumption in the last 24 hours was 24 kWh which represents a drop from yesterday. Twenty–four hours ago, my consumption was 28 kWh. That's a decrease of more than 14%.

How did I manage that? I honestly do not know. Yesterday was hotter than the day before. Common sense tells me I should have used at least as much electricity, if not more.

And, because my daily usage went down, the consumption decline from this date last year is even more impressive than it was yesterday. On this day in 2012, my consumption was 39½ kWh. That means my consumption went down more than 39%.

June 25, 2013

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When I checked the weather conditions yesterday afternoon around 3 o'clock, the air temperature was 94° and the heat index was 98°. Oh, and it was windy, about 25 mph from the south.

The forecast was for a high of 99°. I don't know if it made it or not. At 5 p.m., the temperature was 96°, but the heat index had dropped to 97°.

And yesterday was supposed to be the most pleasant day we'll have for the next seven days, at least.

This morning's meter reading is 9626. Yesterday's reading was 9598 so consumption was 28 kWh in the last 24 hours — about the same as the day before.

Last year on this date, however, my consumption was 34 kWh so usage declined more than 17%.

June 24, 2013

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Yesterday was another warm one with highs in the mid– to upper 90s and a heat index that flirted with 100° — if it didn't actually surpass it.

I don't know how hot it got, but I do know what the forecasts are saying for this week — highs of about 98° or 99° each day until the weekend, when the forecast calls for triple digits.

This morning's meter reading is 9598. Yesterday's reading was 9570 so consumption was 28 kWh. That's a 2 kWh increase over the previous 24 hours, a little more than 7½%.

But last year on this date, my consumption was 37½ kWh so, compared to a year ago, my usage went down more than 25%.

June 23, 2013

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Yesterday was another scorcher. I don't know if this is as warm as it got, but I checked weather conditions at 6 p.m. and the temperature was 95°. Humidity wasn't as high as it has been so the heat index wasn't much higher than the air temperature, but it was high enough — 97° when I checked.

In fact, I saw very little difference between yesterday and the day before, but my consumption actually was down a little.

This morning's meter reading is 9570. Yesterday's reading was 9544 so my consumption in the last 24 hours was 26 kWh. Consumption in the previous 24 hours was 28 kWh so my usage went down about 7%.

Apparently, this date last year was a real scorcher, maybe even hotter than it was yesterday, although the only temperature/heat index in my entry for June 23, 2013 sounds like the one I just mentioned. Well, the heat index was higher — but that only tells you what it feels like to your skin. If you're inside, I suppose it has no effect.

Anyway, my consumption on this date last year was a whopping 42 kWh. Usage went down more than 38% compared to this day in 2012.

June 22, 2013

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It always seems that, in summer, each day is the same around here.

Typically, temperatures are in the 90s around here on summer days — unless we're experiencing a heat wave, and then the daily highs are likely to be 100° or better.

We got into the upper 90s for awhile yesterday, but we spent most of the day in the low to mid–90s.

My meter reading this morning is 9544. Yesterday's reading was 9516 so consumption was 28 kWh. That's an increase of nearly 9% over the previous 24–hour period.

But my consumption on this day last year was 33 kWh, which means my consumption was down more than 15% when compared to this date a year ago.