EcoHomes » Programs

The Scugog Connections project is a collaborative project of four local organizations and agencies; Durham Sustain Ability as the lead organization, along with Kawartha Conservation, the Scugog Lake Stewards, and the Durham Land Stewardship Council. Scugog Connections seeks to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment of the Lake Scugog watershed, while maintaining the sustainable capacity for development that is inevitable within a growing GTA population.

The Scugog Connections program is a resource for local residents looking to take the small but impactful steps to ensure a sustainable quality of life on Lake Scugog. The program aims to encourage the community to play an active role in the health of their environment while promoting responsible water stewardship. The program is a part of the Lake Scugog Environmental Management Plan (LSEMP) and serves as a hub for educational and outreach activities. The new centre is located in downtown Port Perry on Water Street.

For more information on environmental initiatives in the Township of Scugog, contact: 

Carlie McDonald 

Scugog Connections, Program Coordinator

126 Water St. Unit 3, Port Perry, ON L9L1B9                                                                        

905.985.3279   or   carlie@sustain-ability.ca

Scugog Connections is made possible through funding from Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

Take full advantage of the federal government’s ecoENERGY Retrofit Program. This program offers grants of up to $5,000 for energy efficiency improvements in homes.

The ecoENERGY Retrofit is a home energy assessment program developed by Natural Resources Canada to help property owners make retrofit choices to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their home.

 An ecoENERGY evaluation uses specialized tools and software to determine the energy efficiency of a house and points out sources of heat loss and wasted energy. The program encourages home retrofits to improve energy efficiency by offering homeowners grants based on verifiable measures taken to improve the performance and energy efficiency of the home.

Some of the improvements to qualify for a grant include:

• Installing an ENERGY STAR furnace
• Replacing a central air conditioner system with an ENERGY STAR qualified unit
• Increasing the insulation in our homes (e.g. attic, basement)
• Replacing windows and skylights with ENERGY STAR qualified units
• Replacing toilets with water efficient units

An ecoENERGY evaluation provides an objective review of the energy use in your home and determines a rating for the house based on scientific assessment. It provides you with independent advice on how your home uses energy and where it is being wasted. The benefits of an ecoENERGY evaluation — to the homeowner and to the environment — occur only when some or all of the recommended energy efficiency retrofits are completed.

The Provincial government is matching the federal grants and reimbursing the homeowner 50 per cent of the cost of the first audit up to $150.

The Ontario Home Energy Retrofit Program complements the ecoENERGY Program and offers homeowners up to $5,000 to cover the costs of energy-saving renovations.

For more information and a complete list of what improvements qualify for a grant, visit the Natural Resources Canada website, or the Province of Ontario site.

To book a visit from a certified Energy Advisor please contact our partner:

The Windfall Ecology Centre

1.866.280.4431

www.windfallcentre.ca .

Please mention you were referred by Durham Sustain Ability.

Well Aware encourages Ontario's residential well owners to protect their wells and our common groundwater supplies. Well owners in Ontario are responsible for the safety and operation of their own wells and septic systems and for what those systems put back into the water cycle. There are an estimated 16,000 wells in Durham Region and it is important for all well owners to do their part to protect Durham Regions ground water sources.

The Well Aware program in Durham Region currently offers a comprehensive free information kit and a free on-site guided assessment of your well by a certified Water Guide. 

Guided Self-Assessments

The guided self assessment offers well owners an opportunity to make a few simple changes that can have a significant impact on their water quality. It offers well owners practical information on maintaining a healthy well, septic system, and minimizing sources of contamination.

The Water Guide will provide recommendations on well maintenance and upgrading, properly sealing unused wells, water conservation, yard naturalization and septic system best practices.

The Water Guide can provide solutions to individual concerns and troubleshoot specific well and septic problems as well as help well owners understand when they need to call a licensed well contractor for repairs or upgrading.

The Well Aware Guided Self-Assessment is a free, confidential, non-regulatory service that guides the resident in identifying risk of contamination to their well.

To book your Guided Self-Assessment  or for more information contact: 

Janelle Andrews

Program Coordinator

905.427.0061 or janelle@sustain-ability.ca 

Well Aware is a project of The Green Communities Canada Association. Funding support is provided by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and the Oak Ridges Moraine foundation.

The EcoDriver program is dedicated to teaching drivers fuel efficient driving techniques that are not only guaranteed to save you money, but also reduce the amount of green house gases (GHG) you emit while driving.

Outlined below are some simple driving techniques and useful tips that will help you become an EcoDriver.

Drive Efficiently

• Slow Down and Save: For every 10 km/h you go over 90, fuel efficiency drops by 10%. Driving 120 on the highway instead of 90 is like paying 30% extra for gas.
• Easy on the Pedal: Jackrabbit starts from one stoplight to the next save only 2.5 minutes per hour, but increase fuel consumption by 37%.
• Smooth Sailing: On the highway, keeping a steady speed uses less fuel. Accelerate smoothly and avoid hard braking by leaving room between your car and the one in front.
• Be Idle Free: Just 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine. In 10 minutes the average car will burn through 300 ml of fuel (approx. 1/3 of a litre).
• Warm Up on the Go: Today's cars shouldn't be idled to warm up, and too much idling can cause damage. Driving gently for the first few minutes lets your transmission, steering, and engine all warm up at once.
• Combine Trips: Trips under 5 km are the most polluting because the engine and the pollution control system never reach peak operating temperature. Combining several trips into one can cut fuel use and emissions by 20 to 50%.
• Travel Light: Every extra hundred pounds reduces fuel efficiency by up to 2%, so keep your trunk clear of unnecessary items, and in the winter remove all snow and ice.
• Make the Most of Your Transmissions: Using overdrive at high speeds saves fuel and reduces engine wear. With a manual transmission, shifting up gently but quickly to higher gears allows the engine to work more efficiently.
• Use a Fuel Consumption Display: If your car comes with a consumption computer, use it to get instant feedback on fuel use. Drivers who learn to adjust their habits can save up to 10% this way. If your vehicle doesn't have one, they're easy to install. The ScanGuage II is one model you can order online.

Maintain and Save

• Tire Pressure: Just one tire under-inflated by 8 psi can increase fuel consumption by 4%, and reduce the life of the tire by 15 000 km. Check the pressure once a month.
• Motor Oil: Using worn-out oil, or the wrong grade of oil, can increase fuel use by 2%. Change it regularly with the grade listed in your owners' manual. "Energy Conserving" brands can reduce friction, improving efficiency even more.
• Air Filter: Fuel use can increase up to 10% when the air filter is clogged because not enough air makes it to the combustions chambers. Check it on the same schedule as you change oil, or more often if you travel on dusty roads.
• Tune Ups: Keeping your vehicle in tune can reduce fuel consumption by up to 15% and smog causing emissions by even more. Follow the schedule in your owners' manual.

Drive Less

• Carpool: It saves money, reduces pollution, and creates a friendlier commute.
• Let Someone Else do the Driving: Taking transit frees up time to read the paper, catch up on work, or chat with friends. And it's often cheaper than taking the car. Visit Durham Region Transit for route maps.
• Get Active: Cycling or walking is a healthy alternative, especially for short gas-guzzling errands. In 20 minutes the average person can walk 2 km or bike 5 km.
• Telecommute: Working from home is increasingly feasible and doing it just once a week can boost job satisfaction and productivity while cutting your commute emissions by 20%.

Click Here to access Natural Resources Canada fuel Calculator

EcoDriver Lunch ‘N’ Learn

Concerned about gas costs and the emissions associated with driving?  You can save money and the planet by attending an EcoDriver Lunch n’ Learn presentation.

Delivered in a friendly, “driver-to-driver” manner – EcoDriver will show you several ways to reduce your car’s fuel consumption. And since there is about a 35% difference between the most fuel-efficient and least fuel-efficient drivers on the road, there is a lot that we can do!  

Participants will receive a free tire pressure gauge!

To book a EcoDriver Lunch 'n' Learn for your employees, contact: 

Rachael Wraith

Public Relations Coordinator

(905) 427.0061 or rachael@sustain-ability.ca