We’d all like to do our part when it comes to living an environmentally responsible lifestyle without having to resort to moving to the woods to live off of squirrels and moss. It’s actually a lot easier than most people think and is just a matter of knowing where to look for information and changing up a few habits. Another awesome benefit to being purposeful in reducing the size of your ecological footprint is it usually means you’re saving money in the long term. What better incentive to help save the world than a beautiful, healthy planet AND a skookum new bike?

BC Hydro has done a great job in advocating reduced energy consumption by turning off our lights and electronics when not in use. It’s such a no brainer. But did you know there’s also many other programs that BC Hydro offers to encourage us to reduce our energy consumptions by rewarding that oh-so-hungry piggy bank? BC Hydro offers lots of useful tips when shopping for appliances, TV’s, computers, lighting, etc  to help you pick the energy efficient products, plus keep an eye out for special discounts and rebates, ka-ching!

The largest item you’ll ever shop for also makes a big impact on your energy consumption.  Nope it’s not that 52” plasma you’ve been dreaming of, it’s your home.  The type and size of home you live in will really affect your overall energy consumption because a lot of it ties into heating as well as the number of gadgets people feel compelled to own.

The average Canadian duplex or rowhome uses only 63% of the energy of a single family home, and an apartment is only 32%!  Think about all the walls, floor, and ceiling spaces that are exposed to the elements in these different dwelling types and you’ll understand why there’s such a big difference.  If a family from BC is thinking about downsizing from a single family to a townhome, they’re looking at possibly spending almost $900 less per year on their hydro bill if we use an average $6.27/kWh rate, and over $1600 less per year if they move to an apartment.

Of course you need to take into account your own situation and it really boils down to the number of people in your household and what your needs are.  A family of five plus Spike may make more sense in a single family home than a two bedroom apartment.

Metro Vancouver has also done a great job acting on sustainability initiatives. Also check out the website to see what’s happening in your neighbourhood!

Posted on May 30 2011

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