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

Investing in energy efficiency is not just good for the planet; it also saves you money in the long run.   It is reasonable for you to cut your energy usage in half over time by ensuring you choose energy efficient options when replacing items and renovating.  I recommend formulating a ten year plan in order to make it feasible to budget for the changes.  All of the energy efficiencies will save you money, but some will take longer than others to payback.

A good place to start is to get a home eco-energy audit from a certified auditor.  This will tell you what you can do to improve your home energy efficiency and what government grants are available to help you pay for them.  Home heating and cooling generates 5000 kg of CO2 per year on average.  You can cut this in half by implementing the following changes that apply to your home and receive government grants to help offset the costs:

• Seal air leaks
• Install ceiling fans
• Insulate walls and attic
• Install a solar hot water heater
• Upgrade to Energy Star windows and doors
• Upgrade to an Energy Star high efficiency furnace

A typical Canadian home generates 3000 kg of CO2 per year from electricity usage.  You can reduce this to zero by subscribing to Bullfrog Power which generates all its electricity from renewable sources.  Bullfrog power charges an extra 3 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity which adds about $300 a year to an average home.  You can also generate your own electricity from solar or wind through Ontario’s new Feed-In Tariff program (fit.powerauthority.on.ca) which will cost more up front, but is a good long term investment. 

Part of your ten year plan should also be to upgrade your major appliances (washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc) to Energy Star models when they need replacing.  Finally don’t forget to by upgrade your electronic equipment to the smallest, most energy efficient option when you buy new ones.  For example laptops are more efficient that desktop computers.

Transportation generates 5500 kg of CO2 per year for an average Canadian household.  When you need to replace your current vehicle, be sure to buy the smallest, most energy efficient model you can or better yet, get rid of your vehicle and join a car sharing program like vrtucar or communauto.  For example, driving a small hybrid car 20,000 km per year only generates 2524 kg of CO2, less than half of the Canadian average.

The average Canadian household’s food choices result in emissions of 3200 kg of CO2 per year. The average food travels 2400 km to reach our plates so join a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) program to get a weekly delivery of local produce. Tucker House Renewal Centre offers the Bunching Onions CSA Program with deliveries from May to September.  You can also find local CSA farms from Just Food’s website. Be sure to buy local, organic food where you can which has lower greenhouse gas emissions.

All of our other consumption and waste choices produce 10,400 kg of CO2 on average and you need to take into account the entire life cycle of a product before you purchase it.  This includes the energy required to make it, transport it and dispose of it.  The key investment in this area is to always try to buy high-quality products that will last as long as possible and made as locally as possible.  It is better to buy a few pieces of solid wood furniture that your children will inherit than low quality furniture that will end up in the landfill in a few years.  My favorite piece of furniture is a 150 year old solid cherry dining room table that used to belong to my great-grandmother.

So far, our family has upgraded to an R2000 home with solar hot water powered by Bullfrog, we have Energy Star appliances and electronics and belong to a CSA.  This has reduced our greenhouse gases by another 8000 kg of CO2 for a 47% total reduction so far.  We plan to purchase a hybrid car as our next vehicle when we need a new car which will help to reduce them even further.

Next Step 3: Change Your Lifestyle For an 80% Reduction.

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

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