On average, through our daily activities, each Canadian is responsible for generating over five tonnes of greenhouse gases each year. Half of these emissions come from home energy demands. Our utilities frequently meet demand by burning fossil fuels. Almost everything we use in our homes and businesses - heat, air conditioning, water heating, lighting, appliances and electronics - consume electicity, contributing to smog and climate change.

The goal of COOL Caledon’s ‘Electricity Doctor’ project is to raise public awareness of some simple steps people can take to reduce energy consumption. If you would like assistance identifying areas where you can save money and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other harmful pollutants, make an appointment for a ‘house call’ from our Electricity Doctor.


The Electricity Doctor will come to your home and work with you to assess your lighting, hot water and home heating systems, appliances, and electronic devices, to find out where you can save. During the visit, you will learn about simple solutions that could help you save up to 20% on your energy bills. You will receive a written prescription (Visit Report) which includes do-it-yourself solutions and professional contacts for those you can't.
Jen Clark, COOL Caledon's Electricity Doctor, is seen here visiting a resident, Al Axworthy. He is a Caledonian who embraces energy conservation. The house is designed to take advantage of passive solar heating, has several electricity saving compact fluorescent light bulbs and EnergyStar appliances and a recently installed geo-thermal HVAC system. Mr. Axworthy understands the overall business case and value equation for investing in energy conserving projects. He says, 'It's important to do what we can to save energy, reduce our demand on the electricity generation and transmission infrastructure and help clean up our air. My wife and I have reduced our electricity consumption by about 50% over the last few years - that's a lot, but if we each do a little, we'll all make a big difference. We used to heat our home with electricity - our demand reduction is totally due to our new geo-thermal HVAC system.'

'The Axworthy's efforts are commendable and demonstrate the commitment many Caledonians have to the environment and our health. And when it also makes economic sense it's a win for us as individuals, a win for us as a community and a win for us as a sustainable society', says David Jobe, Program Director for COOL Caledon.

Click here to book your free appointment today! Appointments are scheduled to last up to 45 minutes. Although this service is free, contributions towards offsetting the cost will be gladly accepted.

If an Electricity Doctor appointment is not convenient, you can do your own tests. Courtesy of COOL Caledon, do-it-yourself kits are available at your local Caledon library. Click here for an online version.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Hot Water Heating: reduce the temperature setting of your hot water tank from 60 to 50C and save up to 10%. Unless it's so obvious you can do it yourself, call your tank provider to make this adjustment. It may be free of charge!
• Home Comfort & Heating: turn your thermostat down a degree – most Canadian homes are kept so warm you may not notice a difference
• Lighting: high use and hard to reach light fixtures are perfect applications for Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs). However, they are not yet designed for use with certain electronic timing devices or dimmers. Ask at your local hardware store or your Electricity Doctor!
• Appliances: when replacing, look for new appliances with the Energy Star® label. They will definitely yield savings in water and energy use. The payback period is substantially less than the life of the appliance – even at our low (but soon to increase) electricity rates
• Electronic Devices: even when turned ‘off’, many electronic devices draw a current. You may be surprised to know that if you watch your 25” TV for only one hour a day, 10% of the electricity it draws is used to maintain the ‘instant on’ capability just by being plugged in all day! Unplugging a seldom used appliance or using a power bar surge protector with an on/off switch will save you money.
COOL Caledon - A Local Demand Side Management Program Success Story: This article was created for publication at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference in Ottawa in August 2004. Read about COOL Caledon, it's Electricity Doctor Program in action and a showcase of a local success story.

You can impact climate change. By reducing your home energy consumption, you will be taking a significant step towards reducing smog and greenhouse gas emissions.

Click on the links below to find even more ways to clear the air.

EnerGuide Assessment and Rebate Programs
Do-it-yourself Electricity Doctor Kit (online version)
Dr. Ehrlich's articles