IMPROVE YOUR CONDO
BUILDING EFFIENCY

Live in a condo unit? There are lots of opportunities through stratas to improve the energy efficiency of your building.

Terason Gas has an on-line energy efficiency evaluation targeted towards condominium strata councils. You can download it, fill out the form send it to them. An energy expert with analyze it and send it back.

Other tips include installing CFL bulbs in hallways, foyers and other high use areas. Look for the ENERGY STAR label when replacing your appliances, such as the common area washing machines. Take these tips to your next strata meeting.

GET AN ENERGY
EFFICIENCY EVALUATION

Residents from Vancouver (and other participating municipalities) living in single family or row houses, qualify for a $1500 Energy Savings Plan grant plus over $800 in other financial incentives for energy efficiency improvements. Funding is limited so first come, first served and it is a limited time offer.

Go to the Energy Saving website for the details on the required steps and register for a free initial home energy evaluation.

Don't own a single family or row house? The Energy Savings Plan has a limited time offer for incentives for Multi-family units, so if your strata is thinking about making some upgrades, such as new windows or insulation, check out their website.

Check out Mehdi's story...

BRING ONE DAY TO YOUR HOME OFFICE, WORK AND/OR SCHOOL

Turn computer monitors off when not being used. A PC and monitor left on continuously consume between $75 and $120 worth of electricity a year. In standby mode, this can be reduced to $15. For PCs, go to the Start menu, select Settings, then choose Control Panel, click on Display, and then set the Energy Star settings under the Screen Saver tab. "Sleep" or stand-by is not the same as "off" though, as equipment in sleep mode still uses some electricity, so always turn your equipment off if it will not be in use for long periods of time.

And don't be fooled by screen savers! They are not an energy-efficient feature.

Turn off printers and other office machines when not in use, as they can idle as much as 90% of the workday and are often left running at night and on weekends.

If you don't have the access to do these things yourself or let someone know.

You can also download One Day posters and put them up at your work or school.