The Cost Of Avoiding The Cold

By Rupert Truscott-Hughes on July 15, 2012 in Other

I hate getting electricity bills. One of the downfalls of owning a sprawling Point Piper mansion is heating the bloody thing. It’s nearly impossible to keep it toasty regardless of how many heaters you employ or logs you burn.

“Put on a jumper and some uggies!” I hear you exclaim, bemused by my moaning petulance.

Well, anyone who knows me is well aware that I refuse to rug up indoors. As far as I’m concerned, if I have to wear a jumper and long pants I might as well be outside enjoying myself. The indoors should be a place of comfort and relaxation, and I can find neither when wrapped in layer upon layer of claustrophobia inducing clothing.

I’m tempted to take the chainsaw to some of the trees out the front in order to harvest a healthy stockpile of fire wood but having heard about the fine Woollahra Council imposed upon my neighbour for doing much the same thing (with slightly different intentions) I think I’ll be better off paying over the top rates for Origin Energy to burn some more coal and switching on the heaters.

I really don’t know how I’d go living somewhere that’s actually cold. I mean, the mercury rarely slips below the ten-degree mark here in Sydney and yet I still complain. Imagine how much I’d struggle in the nation’s capital, where temperatures dip to nearly minus ten. Not only would I be bored out of my brains, I’d be bitterly cold too.

That said, I do love a trip to the snow, preferably over to Aspen or St Moritz, but sometimes the seasons dictate that a southern hemisphere sojourn to Queenstown or Perisher has to suffice. The difference is, after a couple of weeks skiing by day and sipping whiskey in the warmth at night, the credit card lashing is expected and somewhat deserved. Signing the savings away at the snow certainly beats dealing with the bill shock that an electricity account generally burdens you with when it creeps up on you in the dead of night. I’ve never had a good electricity bill but I’ve had some great ski trips.

I have to admit that I’m actually considering investing in one of those electricity meters that tells you how much you’re consuming so that I can take control of my energy use. This has nothing to do with reducing my carbon footprint mind you (who cares about that!), and I’m not sure how much it will actually change my habits, but at least I’ll have an idea what to expect when that bill lands in my ridiculously oversized mailbox (complete with spring-loaded flap purpose built for filleting unsuspecting junk mail distributors fingers!). And for just under $130, I’d probably be silly not to. It’s only a drop in the ocean compared to last year’s winter electricity bill after all.

Then again, there’s always the option to shut down the Point Piper pad for winter and head over to Bali. Maybe life’s not so bad after all.