This March, let's switch it off

Whistler’s Climate Action BIG MOVES Strategy identifies the six most impactful action areas we need to focus on as a community to reduce emissions and make Whistler a more climate resilient community. We all have a role to play! The RMOW, in partnership with Whistler’s environmental charity AWARE, has created Small Steps for BIG MOVES: 12 months of climate actions we can each take to support Whistler’s six BIG MOVES.

TAKE ACTION! This March, let’s:

Switch it off

Reducing our electricity usage leads to faster results on BIG MOVE #5: Make existing buildings better.

Turning off, powering down, and unplugging—simple steps add up when we learn more about where our energy consumption may be coming from and follow some top tips to dial down personal energy use.

With more devices running at all hours and an assortment of chargers always at the ready, significant energy savings may be just a simple switch away when you look at energy saving alternatives and small habit changes to eliminate passive energy consumption.

Ready to take action? Let’s try one (or some) of these Small Steps for BIG MOVES:

1. Pull the plug on phone chargers, toasters, kettles, computer chargers.

The simple act of unplugging a device when not in use can save up to 10% on your energy bill.

2. If shopping for new appliances, look for ENERGY STAR

This is a simple way to make your shopping choices a little easier. Devices that have this ENERGY STAR® logo use no more than one watt in standby mode.

Learn more: Via the Energy Star Website

3. Buy energy efficient light bulbs and turn lights off when they’re not needed.

An easy but important example of how a simple product switch can save energy and money.

4. Seek out the secret power suckers in your home.

Check out Hydro Quebec’s Phantom Power online tool to easily calculate energy consumption and see which devices are secretly upping your energy use.

Try it out: Phantom power consumption tool

5. Hardwire little habits for energy savings.

Make a list of five simple acts to remember day to day, like using natural light, turning down the heat when you leave the house, taking a shorter shower, switching off ceiling lights, using tabletop task lighting, only running full laundry loads and hang drying. If we practice making small changes, many of them will stick.

Get more inspiration for simple switches:

BC Hydro 21 tips: no-cost ways to save electricity

What We Heard ~ Stories Shared

Thank you for sharing your stories!

Check out these small steps for BIG MOVES that some of our community members have taken:

Anna moves closer to the heater when working on her laptop, rather than turning up the heat. An extra sweater and some retro legwarmers also work like a charm when the indoor temperature gets chilly :)

We invite you to share your stories about your small steps for BIG MOVES every month. There's a chance to win some great prizes if you submit a story! Have a look at our April theme: whistler.ca/ChooseToReuse.

Quick Facts:

1. Electricity accounts for 39 per cent of Whistler’s energy use but only three per cent of GHG emissions.

This is due to the low emissions factor attributed to electricity in BC where much of our electricity is hydro generated. Although hydro power is climate friendly compared to other energy types, hydro projects still come with other environmental impacts that make it important for us to focus on saving energy every chance we get.

2. According to the US Department of Energy, 75 per cent of the electricity used to power home appliances is consumed when they are turned off.

Home electronics are on standby about 75 per cent of the time—some 6,500 hours a year. Even in powered down or passive modes, many electronic devices draw power 24 hours a day to access networks and run clocks, timers and remotes.

3. Top power suckers include coffee makers, electric toothbrushes, gaming systems, phone chargers, toasters and kettles.

The more electronics you have, the more this will add up.

4. Roughly 75 per cent of the electricity required to do a load of laundry goes into heating the water.

Using cold water saves energy. See if you make different laundry choices to use cold rather than warm and hot washes.

5. Lighting takes up approximately 15 per cent of our home electricity bill.

You can dramatically reduce this percentage by simply turning off unnecessary lights as you go about your day.