Here on Long Island the local energy company - National Grid - is heavily advertising their "3% Less" campaign. On the surface it's a No-Brainer!
This campaign focuses on using three percent less energy over the course of the next three years; under the guise that using less energy is not only good for the environment, but will be a savings to the customers. And YES, using less energy in general is great for the environment -- we all should be that energy conscious. However, there will never be a savings passed onto anyone and National Grid should not be advertising otherwise.
You would think though, that using less of anything would save money, right? I mean if you aren't using it, then you obviously are not spending money on it. In this case, that is not true!
Using 3% less energy is definitely good for the environment, but you will NOT see that reflected in your wallet - at least not in a good way. Like all big corporations, National Grid has investors, employees, pension plans & medical benefits that need to get paid. Where do you think the money comes from? That's right, it's customers...US! In this case using 3% less energy will only make the cost of the energy go up -- they will need to charge more for it to cover expenses.
Did you know that National Grid charges a surcharge in mild winters where customers use less energy than they predicted. Seriously, check your bill. Where's the savings in that?