Japan Homeowners Going Electric
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 2.07
I remember the jingle on the radio when I was a kid: "Live better electrically!" promoting the cleanliness and safety of the all-electric home. The wonderful all-electric world never quite worked out as the costs of electricity went through the roof; it is inherently inefficient to burn fuel for heat to make electricity, transport it long distances and then convert it back to heat.
However In Japan, homeowners are rushing for the convenience of the all-electric home as the population ages. "Electricity is safe, comfortable and clean," said Ken Hasegawa, manager at commodities futures broker Himawari CX. "Driving to gas stations to buy kerosene and returning home is not easy if you're over 60." A combination of more efficient cars, shrinking population and increasing use of electricity is leading to a significant reduction in oil imports. The flip side, of course, is an increase in electricity demand; coal consumption has doubled in the last five years to meet it.
But you can't burn coal at home; it has to be centralized. Will "live better electrically" jingles be heard again over here as energy security trumps global warming? ::Reuters
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Not sure when or where you were a kid, but electricity prices generally have not gone through the roof. In the US, the average residential cost per kW-hr today is only about 60% of what it was in 1960 (in constant dollars). Using electricity for heat does make sense if you are not burning something to make it (Japan uses a lot of nuclear power). Even if you are burning something, it makes sense if you can use a heat pump (even the air to air heat pumps would work well in much of Japan).