Reduce Energy Use DC Pledge Period Wrap-Up

Since this year’s Reduce Energy Use DC pledge period is now wrapping up, we want to take a quick look back and highlight some of the most important lessons learned throughout the past few months. You can continue to read our blog for tips and perspectives like this long after the pledge period has ended here.

Many of us don’t realize when we live beyond our means environmentally - keeping our electronics plugged in overnight, driving somewhere you could have walked, or throwing away something that could have been reused or recycled. As Reduce Energy Use DC always likes to emphasize, the effects of taking these actions are not noticeable immediately, but they have long-term positive effects for our planet and your pocket.

Living sustainability requires a lifestyle shift that individuals, businesses, and government entities must adopt. This requires us to develop habits that we put into practice every day (refer to our blog on how to create an energy-saving plan here). By making lifestyle choices such as reducing your greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water, eliminating waste, and using energy-saving appliances, you can save money, become more involved locally, and contribute to a healthier style of living.

Below are a few quotes and tips from some of our participating partner organizations’ guest blog posts that sum up why we continue to encourage D.C. residents to take engage with Reduce Energy Use DC.

• “There are two insights about saving energy that stick with me: behavior matters and, relatedly, habits make an impact. It’s easy to make small behavior changes when you first learn about energy efficiency and are energized (no pun intended) to act. But sticking to those changes is how your small energy-saving measures make a large, cumulative impact.” - Alliance to Save Energy, Doug Abbott. Read their full interview HERE.

• “This pledge helps us make a difference and teaches us how to use energy more efficiently in our day-to-day lives.” - President and CEO of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Nicole Quiroga. Read their full interview HERE.

• “Many years ago, I switched nearly every light bulb in my home to LED lightbulbs, which use less electricity and last 3-25 times longer than regular lightbulbs. Lighting accounts for about 12% of an average residential bill, and I enjoy the saving on my energy bill that this small change provides.” - D.C. Director at AARP, Louis Davis Jr. Read their full interview HERE.

• “Implementing energy-saving practices into your operations will help your business save thousands - if not tens of thousands - of dollars each year. You are helping the environment and saving dollars. It's a win-win.” - Executive Director at the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, Kathy Hollinger. Read their full interview HERE.

• “By taking individual steps and advocating for large-scale action, we can reduce emissions, improve air quality, and limit climate warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.” National Director of Advocacy for Healthy Air at the American Lung Association, Liz Mueller. Read their full interview HERE.

• “There are two major reasons we want to Reduce Energy Use in DC and around the world. One of those is that reducing our energy use….will often allow us to save money…. The other reason is that being smart about energy use can help us deal with climate change in a proactive way.” - Executive Director of the NEED Project, Mary E. Spruill. Read their full interview HERE.

We want to say a big thank you to our partner organizations for being a part of this year’s pledge campaign and every one of you who has taken the REUDC pledge. By doing so, you are making Washington D.C. a more sustainable and equitable place for our future and for generations to come. Don’t forget that just because this campaign is over, we should all continue to do our part in creating a cleaner environment.