Energize!Charlottesville Urges the Community to “Get in the Game” for October’s Energy Awareness Month

City Competing for $5M and Offering Raffle Prizes, Daily Tips for Home Energy Savings

Charlottesville, Virginia – During October’s Energy Awareness Month, the Energize!Charlottesville campaign is encouraging the entire community to take a renewed look at their homes to find ways to help Charlottesville win the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize by saving energy at home.

The City has teamed up with the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) to offer:

Facebook Graphic No 10 (2)Charlottesville is almost halfway through the competition of 50 national semifinalists – including Arlington and Blacksburg in Virginia – who will be judged on measurable energy reductions in our homes.
In addition to the $5M award from the GU Energy Prize competition, the City’s Energize!Charlottesville goal is a 10% reduction in energy use in the community.   The local value of saving energy by 10% each year is itselfover $5M, savings that can stay local.

“National Energy Month is particularly relevant for Charlottesville this year as we approach the mid-way point of the competition.  We encourage everyone to be aware and to take action now. The sooner you do, the sooner the savings can be realized and the closer we can get to winning. Energize!Charlottesville and its partners will be releasing daily tips to save energy, announcing new resources and events, offering weekly prizes and more opportunities throughout October.” Kristel Riddervold, Environmental Sustainability Manager with the City of Charlottesville.

Energize!Charlottesville is asking residents in October to:

  1. Set up and use a free online tool, the Energy Center, to track and plan your savings at http://energizecharlottesville.wattzon.com
  2. Get a Home Energy Check-Up to identify the most practical and affordable energy improvements that can be made to your home. An Energy Coach will do a simple, on-site review of your home’s energy use, suggest strategies big and small for you and install complimentary energy-saving products. Signing up in October enters you into weekly raffles drawings for prizes like a Nest Learning Thermostat (leap-va.org/checkup)
  3. Pick some of the daily energy-saving tips to integrate at your home. Follow us at https://www.facebook.com/CvilleGreenCity or https://www.facebook.com/LEAPVA.

“More than 750 of our Charlottesville neighbors have received Home Energy Check-Ups. These folks are now saving money on their energy bills and enjoying cozier homes,” said Andrew Grigsby, Interim Executive Director of LEAP. “It’s a great opportunity to get ready for winter and to support theEnergize!Charlottesville effort. There are simple things each of us can do right now that will help us as individuals and help the community.”

Connect with Energize!Charlottesville and sign up for alerts at EnergizeCharlottesville.org


Sample energy-saving tips

 Similar tips will be posted daily via https://www.facebook.com/CvilleGreenCity, https://www.facebook.com/LEAPVA, http://www.energizecharlottesville.org and #EnergizeCville

Defeat Vampire Power with Smart Strips
Many of the electronics in our homes and offices still use power when turned off. If left plugged in, TVs, computers, printers, and other common electronics enter standby mode, drawing small amounts of energy, or “vampire power” which accounts for 10% of residential electricity usage. Smart Strips help reduce the “vampire power” using programmable timers or current sensor.

What is the difference between LED vs CFL bulbs?
CFL bulbs last about 10 times longer and use about one-fourth the energy of traditional incandescent bulbs. A typical CFL can pay for itself in energy savings in less than 9 months and continue to save you money each month. LED bulbs offer similar light quality to traditional incandescents, last 25 times as long, and use even less energy than CFLs. Choose ENERGY STAR-qualified LEDs for the highest quality and energy savings.

Energize!Charlottesville and Georgetown University Energy Prize (https://guep.org):
Energize!Charlottesville is a two-year community campaign to save energy and win the Georgetown University Energy Prize competition’s $5 million grand prize.  Charlottesville is one of 50 semifinalist communities across the country. Semifinalist communities will be judged over the multi-year competition based on the extent of community involvement, the potential for replication and innovation, and reductions in energy purchases from electric and gas utilities from the residential and municipal sectors. A goal of the competition is to transform America’s energy landscape by spurring innovative new models of community-wide energy efficiency that can be replicated and scaled across the country.

Energize!Charlottesville aims to help residents save energy at home through providing access to efficiency tips, home assessments, solar and more. Energize!Charlottesville is built around a four-part game plan that begins with increasing knowledge of where opportunities to save energy exist and then offering resources for residents as they purse the choices best-suited for their homes. As a community campaign, Energize!Charlottesville is supported by a host of local organizations with initiatives rolling out over two-years.

 

 

The value of the Home Energy Check-Up package is estimated at up to $250 in goods, savings, and professional advice, but because LEAP is a Participating Contractor in the Dominion Home Energy Check-up program our price to homeowners in Charlottesville is only $20 Certain restrictions apply. Contact us for details. Visit www.dom.com/hec-terms to view the Terms and Conditions for the Home Energy Check-Up program. Visit www.dom.com/hec-faq to view some frequently asked questions.

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