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Daily Update
Sep. 13th, 2024 08:03 amPain level - Moderate
A bright spot today! I received a power-saving package from the local power company, designed to help lower electricity costs specifically in rented homes. Most programs for power-saving implementations aren't specifically intended for those who own a home but are impossible for people who rent, like changing the types of windows that are installed or replacing the hot water tank. Renters can't do those things typically, and there's no incentive for landlords to do that sort of thing to help their tenants if those tenants are also paying for power out of their own pockets. So it's nice to see a consideration for those who rent.
The best parts of the package were the LED light bulbs, which I like a lot, and even if they don't save me much money on my power bill they'll save me money by making it so that I don't need to buy new light bulbs for a while. And there was also a smart power bar surge protector, which has different plugs for things you might need power going to all the time, like an alarm clock, versus things you really only want electricity going to when you're using it, like a TV. Very handy to prevent phantom power drain, and probably also would even further lower the risk of surges wrecking my computer when there's a thunderstorm. Even if my computer is turned off, there's the chance a surge could fry it if I'm unlucky. Unless it's unplugged entirely, or hopefully if I use it with this power bar.
It might seem counter-intuitive for a power company to give things for free to people who will use those things to pay the power company less money, but it is good PR for them, making it look like they care more about peoples' wellbeing than their own profits. Which won't really matter much to customers, because it's not like there are other options for power companies at the moment, but it might make the difference for investors who also want some good PR, which will bring more money to the power company overall.
I also wonder if it's a knock-on effect of the drastic increase in costs we've seen over the last few years. Rents have been driven brutally high by greedy landlords and out-of-province investors who bought cheap houses only to try selling them again when house prices rose further, or to rent them out at prices that just increased the price of rent all over. There are a lot of unhoused people just in this one city, many of whom were driven from their homes not through stereotypes like drugs and alcohol but by not being able to afford to pay rent on stagnating wages and rising inflation. Food prices have risen to the point where more and more people have to rely on food banks, which can't keep up with demand. More people juggle their bills, because they don't have a choice. So perhaps the power company is tired of people in lousy situations not being able to pay their power bills, having to pay more workers to process collections and all the associated paperwork (virtual paperwork, but even so), and they can't do anything to lower rent and grocery bills for people, but they can help lower power bills. Maybe even $5 saved each month thanks to the items in the power-saving kit will mean more people paying their power bill on time, and regularly, so they'll profit in the long run.
Companies rarely do anything altruistic, but in this case, I have no problem making use of their offer. It will help me, when my cost of living is higher than average due to chronic illness and disability, and where my income is extremely limited because I can't work.
A bright spot today! I received a power-saving package from the local power company, designed to help lower electricity costs specifically in rented homes. Most programs for power-saving implementations aren't specifically intended for those who own a home but are impossible for people who rent, like changing the types of windows that are installed or replacing the hot water tank. Renters can't do those things typically, and there's no incentive for landlords to do that sort of thing to help their tenants if those tenants are also paying for power out of their own pockets. So it's nice to see a consideration for those who rent.
The best parts of the package were the LED light bulbs, which I like a lot, and even if they don't save me much money on my power bill they'll save me money by making it so that I don't need to buy new light bulbs for a while. And there was also a smart power bar surge protector, which has different plugs for things you might need power going to all the time, like an alarm clock, versus things you really only want electricity going to when you're using it, like a TV. Very handy to prevent phantom power drain, and probably also would even further lower the risk of surges wrecking my computer when there's a thunderstorm. Even if my computer is turned off, there's the chance a surge could fry it if I'm unlucky. Unless it's unplugged entirely, or hopefully if I use it with this power bar.
It might seem counter-intuitive for a power company to give things for free to people who will use those things to pay the power company less money, but it is good PR for them, making it look like they care more about peoples' wellbeing than their own profits. Which won't really matter much to customers, because it's not like there are other options for power companies at the moment, but it might make the difference for investors who also want some good PR, which will bring more money to the power company overall.
I also wonder if it's a knock-on effect of the drastic increase in costs we've seen over the last few years. Rents have been driven brutally high by greedy landlords and out-of-province investors who bought cheap houses only to try selling them again when house prices rose further, or to rent them out at prices that just increased the price of rent all over. There are a lot of unhoused people just in this one city, many of whom were driven from their homes not through stereotypes like drugs and alcohol but by not being able to afford to pay rent on stagnating wages and rising inflation. Food prices have risen to the point where more and more people have to rely on food banks, which can't keep up with demand. More people juggle their bills, because they don't have a choice. So perhaps the power company is tired of people in lousy situations not being able to pay their power bills, having to pay more workers to process collections and all the associated paperwork (virtual paperwork, but even so), and they can't do anything to lower rent and grocery bills for people, but they can help lower power bills. Maybe even $5 saved each month thanks to the items in the power-saving kit will mean more people paying their power bill on time, and regularly, so they'll profit in the long run.
Companies rarely do anything altruistic, but in this case, I have no problem making use of their offer. It will help me, when my cost of living is higher than average due to chronic illness and disability, and where my income is extremely limited because I can't work.
