Project Porchlight Blog

Statistics Canada reports that Ottawa is #1 in the country in CFL bulb use. Could it be that Project Porchlight, which delivered 250,000 of the energy-saving bulbs door-to-door in its campaigns in 2005 and 2006, was able to convince the people of Ottawa that making smart energy choices is as easy as changing a lightbulb?

A quote from Peter Love, Chief Conservation Officer from the Ontario Power Authority:

"This program will help Ontario residents save on their electricity bills and will encourage a culture of conservation. Ontarians are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of electricity conservation and programs such as Project Porchlight help them make smart electricity choices."

Mr. Love was in town Friday, September 21, to recognize the City of Ottawa and its efforts to engage residents in energy conservation. Indeed, the City and founding Porchlight sponsor Hydro Ottawa were instrumental in our Project's early success, and we were thrilled to be on hand as Mayor Larry O'Brien accepted a certificate of recognition from the OPA on behalf of the people of Ottawa.

The news about CFL bulb usage was exciting, but it gets better. Efforts by Project Porchlight and its partners to get people thinking about smart energy choices have prompted consumers in Ottawa to look for other energy-conserving products, particularly programmable thermostats. This change in thinking about energy use has also led to greater interest in other programs aimed at reducing electricity usage, like the Hydro Ottawa Great Refrigerator Roundup.

We are thrilled to prove that showing people how easy it is to make one change will lead to other changes, big and small. As Porchlight campaigns spread to 100 communities in Ontario, to cities and towns in Alberta and beyond, we can't wait to prove this point again and again.