The electric fan is on full blast as I watch the True Blood vampire series while the girlfriend complains about lead actress and Oscar winner Anna Paquin not looking quite good enough. It's so hot nowadays it hurts to walk out in broad daylight. The only thing that's not so hot besides our politics and the weather, is the economy.
Regarding the not-so-hot economy, someone reminded me that Thailand faced double-digit negative growth of -10.2% in 1998 so hopefully this year's forecast of 5% negative growth is not that bad.
Speaking about vampires, they do exist and live amongst us. They don't literally suck our blood dry but come pretty close when you consider the likes of our fanged politicians, management and credit card companies, to name a few.
The vampire I want to talk about is a far cry from the aforementioned.
They lurk in your house as innocent-looking household electrical appliances.
Yes, vampires in your household are your everyday electrical appliances and the only way to prevent them from sucking your power grid is to unplug.
The girlfriend gave me this useful tip.
Electricity usage occurs while you are fast asleep; I am referring to electronics such as your fan, cellphone charger, PC, television and home audio system.
It's true. Touch these devices; though turned off, some parts are still warm. It's obvious that these devices are feeding on the power grid.
Just like how motorists are saving on fuel costs _ converting to either LPG and CNG, fuelling up on gasohol, opting for smaller engines, sweating it out on the public bus system or driving at 90kph _ households should also be able to save during difficult economic times.
Energy audits for households would be nice but don't expect much from authorities who don't see the wisdom in going underground with electric cables _ and still believe in bundled up balls of electrical wiring hanging out on our streets.
How many of you unplug every single electrical appliance in your house?
I don't, but there's my cheap made-in-China circuit breaker which I plug my electronics into.
Just turn the off the switch when they're not in use. Try unplugging for a month and compare electricity bills.
Your refrigerator is also another vampire because the salesman told me that if it's not full it sucks more power _ so try to pack it up at all times.
The air-con is another vamp. If its clogged-up filters and pipes aren't hosed down once in a while, the bill will be astronomical.
The old dilapidated air-con in my apartment costs me 100 baht per night (ridiculous, ain't it?), so I use the fan if I can help it.
All this talk about saving makes me wish we could do the same with people. We lost 373 lives last Songkran.
So be extra careful during this rainy season by driving slower (soberly too).
Check your car's condition; tyre pressure, brakes and wipers.
Brake earlier and with less force than usual. Leave two car lengths or more, between you and the car in front of you. Be extra careful with turn signals. Approach turns with less speed. Turn on your headlights, even when there's a light downpour _ you see the road, and other motorists see you, too.
And please watch out for pedestrians in the rain because they don't hear that well during a downpour.
Yet as we unplug to minimise our carbon footprint it's obvious that we are ultimately subsumed into the much greater natural order of things. Such is life.
Alfred Tha Hla covers the auto industry for Motoring Section, Bangkok Post.
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