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Tweed Shire Council is awarded CCP Plus Initiative of the month for its Sustainable Households Project, which saw 2,000 AAA rated showerheads and 10,000 compact fluorescent light globes distributed to households in the Tweed Shire. In an effort to motivate public participation in resource conservation and greenhouse gas reduction Tweed Shire Council’s CCP Plus project improved quality of life for residents while saving money on reduced energy and water bills.
The project consisted of two stages. Stage one aimed to quantify the benefits of doing three simple things around the home (i.e. the use of GreenPower, AAA rated showerheads and compact fluorescent light globes) via the assistance of 23 local households in a year-long case study. At the completion of stage one of the project there was overwhelming support for the use of these three products because of their excellent performance and the significant environmental and economic benefits that they achieved.
Stage two of the project involved of a giveaway of 2,000 energy and water saving kits to the local community. The kits contained 1 x AAA rated shower, 5 x compact fluorescent light (CFL) globes and a GreenPower application form. The give-a-way was funded under the New South Wales Government’s Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme and resulted in $270,000 worth of energy and water saving products being given away to the local community in just five days, all at virtually no cost to council.
By influencing the water and energy consumption behavior of 2,023 households in the shire, Tweed Shire Council has initiated a long-term process of behavior change in the community. Over time, as increasing numbers of the 2,023 households are convinced about the benefits of using GreenPower, AAA rated showers and CFL globes in the home, their attitudes and behaviors will help to motivate their family and friends to incorporate the same energy and water saving practices into their homes.
This project demonstrates the benefits of integrating water and energy initiatives. The Sustainable Households Project has demonstrated annual savings of 1,040 kilolitres of water and 160 tonnes C02e for stage one and 97,600 kilolitres of water and 1,800 tonnes of C02e for stage two of the project. Council has invested $25,000 in the project to deliver savings to its residents of approximately $100 per household in reduced energy and water bills.
For more information contact Dan Walton, phone 02 6670 2440, email or visit the website of Tweed Shire Council.
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