The government loves to lecture us about saving energy. But
how do the bureaucrats themselves do? Not good, it seems.
Reports the New York Times:
The Energy Department strives to be a leader in championing
energy efficiency. Its Web site lists energy-saving tips, while
Secretary Steven Chu calls
conservation one of the department's most important goals.
But at many of the agency's buildings, even at national
laboratories where talented scientists seek technological
breakthroughs to save energy, the department has failed to use
one of the most effective tools available to any ordinary
household: thermostats that automatically dial back the
temperature when nobody is around.
A recent audit found that the department could save more than
$11.5 million annually in energy costs by properly employing
these "setback" controls to adjust the heat and air
conditioning at night or on weekends.
The Energy Department's inspector general found that the
department, which spends almost $300 million annually on
utilities, could save enough energy to power more than 9,800
homes each year by doing what experts say every household in
the country should also be doing.
I guess it's just "do as I say, not as I do."
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).
