Archived News Release: September 12, 2022 - Ann Arbor residents are invited to participate in a multi-week challenge to reduce their energy consumption, save money and win prizes. The challenge, known as the Resident Race to Zero Home Energy Challenge is an opportunity for residents to learn how they can improve their homes' energy efficiency and health while reducing their carbon footprint. Created by the City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations and the GreenHome Institute, this challenge will help residents identify easy actions they can take to improve home health, comfort and lower energy bills while also engaging in friendly competition with other residents to see who can lower their energy and water usage the most!
The city is hosting the energy challenge as an opportunity for residents to get involved in the Ann Arbor A2ZERO carbon neutrality plan, specifically Strategy 3 — Significantly Improve the Energy Efficiency in our Homes, Businesses, Schools, Places of Worship, Recreational Sites and Government Facilities.
“By improving the efficiency of our homes and buildings, we can reduce community greenhouse gas emissions all while saving money and improving the health and comfort of our built environments," said Missy Stults, sustainability and innovations director for the City of Ann Arbor.
Brett Little with GreenHome Institute says, “This is the second time we have done an energy challenge with a city, and we are very excited to have Ann Arbor on board. It has been fun encouraging residents to go above minor improvements, like changing out light bulbs or installing power strips, and to instead look for creative ways to improve the efficiency of their homes. The challenge has been going great so far, and I'm excited to watch participants continue to make meaningful energy improvements!"
Registration for the race is free and can be done at www.a2gov.org/energychallenge. Early registrants may be eligible for a free or low-cost Home Energy Score evaluation to help identify energy and cost saving opportunities. The contest kicked off in August and runs through the end of December with prizes being awarded in early 2023. For more information or to get involved, visit www.a2gov.org/energychallenge. To learn more about the Ann Arbor A2ZERO Carbon Neutrality plan, go to www.a2gov.org/a2zero.
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