On The Road
January 2, 2010
Big savings that don’t cost a thing
Posted by Cate Sonntag
Where: Delta
We are asked every day to go out into the community and encourage British Columbians to reduce the household energy consumption by joining Team Power Smart.
For the most part we speak to people who are new to the program and we explain to them what Team Power Smart is, a free online program from BC Hydro designed to help you reduce your energy consumption. We give energy saving tips and advice and send them out armed with the tools they need to reduce their energy use.
It's exciting to see people ready to make a change for the betterment of our province and the environment. Our paths do not often cross again with these committed conservationists, so we do not get the chance to hear about their experiences and successes as part of the Power Smart Team after they try our tips.
One of most rewarding experiences as a Community Outreach representative came as I was standing in the lobby of the Delta Hospital talking to the staff of the Fraser Health Authority. We had been signing staff members up for Team Power Smart over the course of the morning. About halfway through the event, a lady came over to talk to us. As we normally do, we began to talk to her about Team Power Smart. Her eyes lit up at the mention of the team.
"I'm already a team member!" she exclaimed. "I'm so amazed how easy it was to save. I just have to tell you because I want to let someone know that I reduced my energy consumption by 29 per cent!"
Hearing a story like this made me feel like we really had achieved something with the work we do. We rarely ever get feedback from team members when we're out in the field. Knowing that there are people out there like this woman who had taken the information we shared with her and made a real different in her home’s energy consumption was so rewarding for me. "Wow!" I told her "That is possibly the largest reduction in energy use I've ever heard a team member achieving. That’s fantastic!"
I was so impressed that I had to ask her what she had done to achieve such great results. She told me that the one thing that made the biggest difference in reducing her household energy consumption was hanging her laundry to dry. It cost her nothing and she instantly saw a reduction in her BC Hydro bill. What a great feeling to know she made a difference. We Community Outreach representatives have been telling people all summer to hang their clothes to dry and here was someone who had done just that and saw terrific savings. I was so pleased!
This Fraser Health Authority staff member's story of conservation was an inspiration to me to keep spreading the message of conservation to the people of our province. It also illustrates to anyone already on the Power Smart Team or anyone thinking of joining that it doesn't have to cost you anything to reduce your energy consumption, all it takes is a commitment to make a change.
Cate Sonntag is a Community Outreach representative based out of North Vancouver and will be at events throughout the fall.
