Reep highlights its energy and water auditing solutions
Working on a shoestring budget of its own, a local environmental charity offers energy and water audits to residents concerned about their own wallets.
Representatives of Reep Green Solutions brought their environmentally friendly message to Wellesley council Tuesday night, discussing their own budget situation and the outreach work the group does.
Pointing to the latest annual report, communications manager Donnique Williams noted the charity had overall revenue clocked in at $783,506, but expenses reached just over $800,000 year. While there was a deficit of $21,534, the group completed 341 home energy efficient upgrades and saved 598 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in that timeframe.
“Wellesley Township residents may also be interested in knowing that we also deliver water audits on behalf of the Region of Waterloo free of charge,” said Williams.
“During these audits, eligible homeowners receive installed measures like toilet flappers and shower heads, and that actually starts reducing their consumption of water immediately.”
Reep Green installed 115 shower heads and 33 toilet flappers throughout the timeframe of the annual report.
The organization also offers an online calculator called Project Neutral that determines the size of your carbon footprint. Users answers a series of questions regarding their household and driving habits to calculate the final result.
“It breaks it down, goes beyond home energy efficiency to covers waste, water, transportation, all of those kinds of choices in our lives and helps us see where is our biggest carbon emissions and what can we do about that,” explained Mary Jane Patterson, executive director at Reep Green Solutions. “Whichever area appears to be big or any area you’re curious about, you can dig deeper.”
Wellesley councillors mused on their experience with the organization, particularly with the water audits.
“We’ve been to Reep a couple of times,” said Ward 3 Coun. Peter van der Maas of the organization’s demonstration home in Kitchener. “It’s a good program and it’s easy to do. It’s easy to cut your consumption.”
“I had a neighbour down the road that did the same thing,” added Mayor Joe Nowak. “He was amazed at the difference in his consumption. I think they found something technical wrong with his waterline.