Sears Canada: Making energy improvements at work and at home

WWF Canada

by James Gray-Donald
Sears Canada
As ENERGY STAR Retailer of the Year for three years running we are here to help our customers save energy as well. But today I am here to share my experiences making energy upgrades in my own home since Earth Hour 2010.
When I bought my house last year, I loved the character that the old home had, but started to love it a little less when my first energy bills arrived! Since then, I’ve made a number of upgrades to improve its energy efficiency. For starters, I had an Eco Energy Audit done and received some great advice and guidance on how to improve my home’s efficiency plus I got access to some substantial government rebates.
Then the fun began! By the time my energy upgrades were all said and done I had added spray foam insulation in the walls, replaced my old windows with ENERGY STAR qualified fiberglass ones, and got a high efficiency furnace and tankless water heater installed. I got rid of the old central air conditioner and installed ceiling fans in the bedrooms to keep cool on hot summer nights. I also retired all of the old, inefficient appliances that came with the house, including my fridge, washer, and dishwasher, and replaced them with ENERGY STAR qualified units. One of my favourite features is my sleek new induction cooktop.
During the process I also had a Sears Home Energy Tune-Up representative visit my home to replace my inefficient lights with CFLs and weatherstrip a couple of doors. I’m even trying out LED spotlights in my kitchen.
By making these energy upgrades to my home I’m now saving the same amount of energy as if I had replaced 150 incandescent light bulbs with CFLs. My home is really comfortable and I feel good about my low energy bills and smaller footprint. Now I just can’t wait for the snow to melt so I can ride my bike to work again!

(c) Katie Harper/Sears Canada
To get ready for the big night tomorrow, the green team at Sears Canada’s Head Office asked ‘what does Earth Hour mean to you?’ Associates re-used cardboard boxes to share how Earth Hour inspires them think about how their actions made a difference, and their plans to get cozy by candlelight on March 26.