Lights, appliances action!
Get ready for Earth Hour, 60 minutes dedicated to the reduction of power usage in the Tri-Cities and worldwide.
Last year, Earth Hour in Port Moody saved enough energy to power 27 homes for an entire year and the efficiency efforts by residents and businesses in Port Coquitlam just keep getting better, as reductions to energy consumption increased by 2.3%. in 2014. It's an improvement over the numbers seen in 2013, which had a 1.9% increase.
The city of Port Coquitlam hopes to save 1,712,000 kilowatt hours by the end of 2015 and says it is 75% of the way there. Some of the upgrades to the city's facilities include new lighting in arenas and recreation centres. City staff and users have also changed some basic habits by turning off monitors and turning off lights in unoccupied rooms.
Earth Hour is an annual global event that started in 2007 to raise awareness about climate change. It has grown to engage more than 162 countries and encourages participants to conserve energy.
Once again, the Tri-Cities will be joining communities worldwide in turning off unnecessary lights and electronics for one hour on March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
To participate, all you have to do is unplug electronics and turn off lights for at least one hour on Saturday and spread the work to your friends, family and colleagues.
Here are some tips for conserving energy throughout the year:
Replace old light bulbs with LEDs.
Unplug any appliances that are not in use because they draw small amounts of energy throughout the day.
Wash your laundry in cold water and hang it to dry instead of using the dryer.
And keep your TV and computer screens turned off when they're not in use.
To register for the event, go to www.earthhour.org; for more information and tips on saving energy, visit BC Hydro Power Smart and Fortis BC.
