Controlling Your Carbon Footprint

Hello again, University Park! This week we at STEP-UP thought we would bring you some information on two energy efficiency programs, courtesy of Pepco and TerraPass. Neither are directly related to STEP-UP, but if you are interested in minding your energy usage and carbon emissions, you will definitely want to check these out.

Some of you may have read online about a change that will soon be coming to your energy meter. Pepco is initiating a program to remove old meters and install new Smart Meters in Maryland homes. The new Smart Meters send signals directly to Pepco, allowing for two-way communication between Pepco and the meters. The ultimate goal of the meters is to reduce energy use and foster communication between users and Pepco.

The new meters will benefit homeowners with fewer bills, less expensive meter readings, and remote power activation, among other advantages. They will also eventually be able to provide customers with readings on their daily and hourly energy use. Meter installation began in June 2011 and is scheduled to be complete by December 2012. Pepco will alert residents to their impending visit one to four weeks ahead of time with a letter and fact sheet. Smart Meters have already been installed in Delaware and the District of Columbia with positive results. For more information, take a look at Pepco's Fact Sheet.

Another noteworthy program is TerraPass, which is a carbon offset program. This means that you can calculate for your family or business what your carbon footprint is and then find out how much it would cost to invest in programs to offset your CO₂ emissions. Once you have done this, you can invest your money through TerraPass in those programs, and feel better knowing that you have done your part to take care of your carbon emissions.

A sub-program under TerraPass that has gotten some attention recently is TerraCycle. This program collects items that would not normally be thought of as recyclable, i.e. mascara tubes, park benches, etc. and turning them into upcycled products, like backpacks. This keeps trash from being shoved into landfills and creates new products for a better tomorrow. For more information, go to the TerraCycle Website. Also for University Park residents, ask around and see if anyone in town has started a TerraCycle program of their own. Rumor has it some residents are already participating.

Keep checking back for more STEP-UP updates, and don’t forget to visit our website and sign up!