Derby Dames Fight Climate Change in Season Two!

Last week, we kicked off season two of the Home Energy Challenge!

…BUT FIRST: A quick recap on where we are now on the Challenge Leaderboard. As of today, we have 143 households participating, 104 tons of C02 have been averted (that’s equal to 4,117 trash bags of waste recycled instead of landfilled), and $16,056 have been saved by local households.

How’d they do it? By simply making easy-to-implement adjustments to their lifestyle, like adjusting their home thermostat down, replacing their AC filters, signing up for a Home Energy Checkup, eating lower down the carbon food chain, recycling and composting, or simply turning stuff off.

Energy savings translate into money savings, and that’s something we can all get excited about. Plus, our Challenge participants know the actions they’re taking now will create a healthier community for everyone tomorrow.

NOW SEASON TWO KICKS OFF… On January 21, the Charlottesville Derby Dames hosted a Power Party and it’s safe to say – everyone had a blast learning about the variety of ways they can reduce their carbon footprint! The Derby Dames are split into two competing teams (of course!) – the Blue Ridge Bombshells and the Downtown Maulers– with nine total households participating. These ladies are all-in!

The households in attendance at the Derby Dames Power Party were surprised to learn that the average Charlottesville home has a carbon footprint that’s higher than the national average. And we were happy to see that attendees were eager to take action – one team member had already been considering purchasing an electric vehicle, while another was curious about how to upgrade their lightbulbs at home to maximize energy efficiency. Since the Derby Dames travel quite a bit for their competitions, the team had a special interest in exploring actions related to transportation and air travel.

As you can see, we put the “party” in “Power Party,” so email Residential Program Manager Claire Habel at claire@cvilleclimate.org and tell her you are ready to join in on the Home Energy Challenge fun! Here’s what’s involved: Host or attend a house “Power Party” with friends, family, and/or neighbors, complete your energy profile online on the Home Energy Challenge website, and start taking action! And you’re off to the races. . .

. . . And thank you to CBS 19’s Courteney Stuart, who joined the Derby Dames to see what the Home Energy Challenge was all about!