Mount Alexander is working with the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA) in an aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 per cent. The CVGA comprises 13 Councils and nine large organisations with a common concern for climate change and global warming.
As a member of the CVGA, Mount Alexander successfully applied to take part in a pilot study, Castlemaine 500. Receiving $250,000 in funding, Castlemaine was chosen for the project due to its track record with successful and diverse community based projects.
CVGA’s, Terry White, said over a 12 month period, the project will assist 500 Castlemaine households to reduce their electricity and gas consumption through behavioural change.
“Origin energy will present participating households with data on their habitual electricity and gas consumption over the past two years,” he said. “This information will be used to make a comparison against the 12 month period that the study runs for, and again for the following 12 months to see if the behavioural changes last.”
Any household located in the Castlemaine township living at the same address for the past two years is eligible to take part in the study. All three ward Councillors from Castlemaine have signed up.
All participating households will undergo an audit, which will then be used to identify simple actions that can reduce electricity and gas consumption. Selected households will have an auditor visit their home, while others can check their own energy usage on a checklist.
Terry White said a simple but effective way to save electricity is by turning appliances off at the power point.
“Every standby light represents power consumption,” he said. “People often underestimate the energy televisions, computers, printers and so forth can use while on standby. But after 365 days in the year, it all adds up.”
He also suggested checking for drafts with an incense stick, opening blinds during the day to let the winter sun in, and closing them at night so that it stays in.
“Castlemaine 500 is not just about making changes for the environment, it is about living more comfortably and cutting energy bills,” Terry White said.
Local businesses will also be involved in the project, stocking recommended energy saving products and providing informed advice on which products are the most energy efficient.
Manager Sustainable Development, Fiona McMahon, said that with 500 households taking part in the study, one in seven Castlemaine households will be involved.
“With this rate of participation, everyone will be aware of the program and what it can do,” she said. “We are certain that once people start hearing about the results, the whole community will get involved in energy saving.”
