Step 1: Get Energy Smart! - reduce your carbon footprint by 25% and save money.

Energy conservation is the easiest part of your power-down plan and it is feasible for most households to save 25% without spending money and get an immediate payback.  The key is to become more aware of all the energy you are currently using and look for ways to reduce it. 

Seventh Generation Community Projects, a program of Tucker House Renewal Centre, has been running Get Energy Smart! seminars, walking tours and workshops throughout Ottawa over the past year.  The aim is to inform people on the simple, low-to-no cost ways to reduce their household carbon footprint and save money. Using a real life case study the seminar explains how lowering your greenhouse gas emissions actually saves you money.  The focus is on four areas for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving money: Home, Transportation, Food and Consumption/Waste.

Turning down your heat, installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, slowing down when you drive, eating less meat and reducing how much you fly are just some of the things you can to do save energy.  See here for a list of 25 ways you can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by 25% and save money.  Over the past two years, our family has been able to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by about 26% or 10,000 kg of CO2 and save $3000 per year.

Fill out the Get Energy Smart! pledge form online to start your power-down action plan.  If you are interested in a Get Energy Smart! seminar for your community, please send an email to energy@tuckerhouse.ca.  Get Energy Smart! support is provided by the Government of Ontario and its Community Go Green Fund. Seventh Generation Community Projects is the adult environmental education program of Tucker House Renewal Centre. 

Next Step 2: Invest in energy efficiency to cut your usage in half.

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