One of the great things about living in Vancouver is our cities goals to live green! Here is a great read about how it is helping out commercial buildings and hopefully next, residential.
Here are some great tips on how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle! All of these tips come from the City of Vancouver website (1).
Improve the heating efficiency of your home
Heating your home consumes about half of your total household energy. By lowering your thermostat, draft proofing your home, and ensuring your furnace is working efficiently, you can save big, while reducing your footprint
Reduce the amount of energy you use heating water
Between 80 and 90% of the energy used to wash your clothes is for heating the water. By switching to cold-water washing, you can save up to $52 a year in energy costs.
Limit the amount of material sent to the landfill
The Greenest City target for 2020 is to decrease the amount of waste going to the landfill or incinerator by 50%. You can help, by reducing what you throw away.
When shopping, be mindful of what will end up in the landfill. Choosing products with less packaging, buying higher-quality products (or second-hand products), and bringing reusable shopping bags with you can help reduce waste.
Reduce the energy consumed by home lighting
Lighting in your home takes up to 20% of your overall electricity use. Changing the way you locate and design lighting in your home, as well as the amount of lighting you use, will help reduce your energy.
Source: http://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/tips-for-sustainable-living-at-home.aspx