Our Make the Switch program focuses on helping Burlingtonians transition from traditional gas vehicles and home heating systems to electric / hybrid vehicles, public transit, active transportation options ( cycling and walking) and heat pumps.
Check out our other Make the Switch videos and other helpful information further below. Make the change. Save money. Go Green!
How do you get around? How would you like to? Let us know how you travel in our survey.
electric vehicles...
CHECK OUT OUR EV RESOURCE INFORMATION HERE
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are the way of the future...actually, it's safe to now say that they're the way of the present. The technology and charging infrastructure has improved vastly over the last few years, while costs have come down to the point that it is often now cheaper to choose an electric vehicle over a traditional gasoline-fueled car, when considering the whole life-cycle cost. There are currently more than 42,000 electric cars on the road in Canada and growing.
Switching to an EV is cheaper in the long run. Avoid paying for gasoline, and your energy costs will be on your electricity bill, but you can charge in the evening at off-peak times or for FREE at many public chargers. As carbon taxes are levied on gasoline, you should be ahead in the long run. If you want the reassurance of having gasoline back-up, you can purchase a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) that runs mostly on electric, but has a gas tank back-up for extra range, just in case.
Source: Independent study by Jim Feilders
The main barrier remaining is a psychological one. People may still think electric vehicles "aren't quite there yet", or they may feel 'range anxiety' about finding a charging station in time, or simply be unsure about breaking the tradition of buying a gas car. Several myths about EVs still linger as well (eg. believing batteries will die after a few years; or your emissions aren't reduced because they just get transferred to the power grid -- not true in Ontario).
Another obstacle may be finding a good car dealer who knows and understands EVs and is willing to spend the time to help you, rather than trying to steer you away from them. For traditional dealerships, EVs may be outside of their comfort/knowledge zones, or they may stand to make less on them from maintenance revenues in the long run, or a dealership's sales metrics may be set-up to favour gas cars over EVs, etc. If a dealer isn't helpful or knowledgeable, move on to another one or check out the EV Discovery Centre in North York, Ontario.
It is true that there aren't as many EV models available in Canada as in the U.S., but there is still a growing selection (see below), with more on their way. Check out the Driving EV Uptake in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area report here.
If you are in the market for a new vehicle or will be soon, we hope that the information at the bottom of this page will allay any concerns and convince you that now is the time to make the leap and Go Electric!
BurlingtonGreen helped promote EVs at the 2016 and 2017 Burlington Downtown Car Show!
Why Go Electric?
- Greatly lower your eco-footprint; drive with a clear conscience: Burlington has the highest car ownership per capita in the GTHA and over 40% of Burlington’s community GHG emissions are from the transportation sector. By switching to an electric vehicle, you can make a very large reduction in your environmental footprint. The electricity used to charge the vehicle in Ontario is from relatively clean sources now that Ontario has shut down its coal-fired power plants.
- Low energy costs: Avoid paying for gasoline. Your energy costs will be on your electricity bill, but you can charge in the evening at off-peak times or for FREE at many public chargers. As carbon taxes are levied on gasoline, you should be ahead in the long run. If you want the reassurance of having gasoline back-up, you can purchase a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) that runs mostly on electric, but has a gas tank back-up for extra range, just in case.
- Low maintenance: EVs do not have internal combustion engines that require maintenance to the numerous moving parts – electric motors are much simpler systems. No more oil changes. No muffler systems to replace. No starter motors to replace (which can suddenly die in gas-powered cars and leave you calling for a tow truck). Usually, no radiators, water pumps, or coolant hoses and fluids to worry about (which can suddenly overheat or spring a leak and leave you stranded on the side of the road). Usually no complex transmission systems. EVs and hybrids use regenerative braking systems to recover energy when stopping and using it to recharge the battery; this also has the added benefit of often greatly prolonging brake life since the brake pads don't have to work as hard, which can further reduce maintenance costs on your the vehicle.
- Often cheaper: Take advantage of government incentives offered to purchase EVs. With incentives offered and lower operating costs mentioned above, the overall life-cycle cost of an EV is now often cheaper than that of a traditional gasoline car.
Available Incentives
Visit the Government of Canada website to discover current incentives.
Selection Tools for Green Vehicles
View BG's helpful cost analysis and EV comparison tool, to help you pick the right EV for you.
- Numerous community charging stations popping up: The network of charging stations across Ontario continues to expand regularly. The Government of Ontario is a making a substantial investment to expand this network as well. View a map of charging locations here. Also, take advantage of incentives to install a charger at home. Ontario has set bold GHG emission reduction targets and aims to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles as a key means to achieve these targets. View Ontario's helpful EV charger page here, along with other information on EVs.
How close are YOU to meeting Ontario's 80% emission reduction target by 2050?
Find out with this handy graph.
- Less highway traffic: slide into the HOV/HOT lanes to beat traffic on the 403/QEW. EVs have their privileges! (Note: special green license plate required. Learn more here.) Also, fingers crossed for more "EV/hybrid only" premium parking spaces popping up at workplaces, stores, parking lots in the future.
- More storage: Because there is no bulky gas engine under the hood as in a traditional gas vehicle, EVs often have an extra 'trunk' compartment in the front for storage where an engine would normally be.
- Stand up for sustainability. Take the lead in your community. Set an example: Be one of the first people in your neighbourhood to drive an EV, so others can see that it's doable and not so far-fetched to make the leap. People are more likely to switch to EVs if they know someone personally that has one and is happy with it and to whom they can direct questions. Help make EVs the norm – our collective future depends on it!
Visit the Plug'n Drive website for more information on EVs.
heat pumps...
DISCOVER THE MANY BENEFITS
Heat pumps are an exciting new technology that offers green heating options for your home energy needs. Heat pumps extract heat from outside (even on the coldest days) and pump it throughout your home. During warmer months, heat pumps work in reverse to keep your home cool.
Notice: The Province canceled the Green Ontario Fund in 2018.
“I had my heat pump installed in 2010 as part of my home reno. The green features in my house have resulted in heating / cooling energy about 90% less than surrounding homes, and the carbon emissions are also as low. With no humidifier or dehumidifier, the humidity stays within the ideal range all year long. No shocks at light switches or dry skin in the winter. Temperatures are equal throughout the home.” Jim Feilders, Burlington resident.
An exciting low carbon technology: Air-to-air heat pumps
Q & A with Jim Feilders, engineer and local green homeowner:
What is an air-to-air heat pump and how does it work?
These units can heat or cool your home by moving air between the outdoors and indoors. They literally “squeeze” heat out of the air in much the same way that your refrigerator or air conditioner does. However, what’s great is that they can get heat out of even sub-zero air and can warm your home even in the middle of winter in Canada.
On extremely cold days, some units may require a boost, often from an electric heating coil that is used to supplement the heat produced by the pump. My unit is good to minus 35 degrees, however, so the heat pump does it all in my case.
In the summer, they work in reverse and cool your home by moving heat out of the house via the same process.
This technology has actually been around for awhile, but it is getting better and better – and costs are decreasing. A number of Japanese companies have been very actively pushing the technology and now offer some very efficient units, which look like large air conditioners. It has been tested extensively in Canada and I can say from my own experience with my own home, which has been heated and cooled this way for eight years, it works! I know of at least eight other homes using this technology around Burlington in Southern Ontario – and interest is steadily growing now that the technology is becoming more accessible.
So it replaces my furnace?
Yes, and your air conditioner. There are also units that can be attached to an existing furnace. These add-on units provide about 70% of your heating and also give you air conditioning.
And this is different than a ground-source heat pump?
Yes, ground source heat pumps, which some people call geothermal, need lines buried in the earth, either in long loops or down deep wells. It’s good technology for large new buildings or homes with lots of open space around them, but a lot more difficult and expensive to install in existing homes without a lot of space.
What does an air-to-air unit cost?
It will depend on the size of your house and how well insulated it is among other factors. But roughly up to double what a conventional furnace-air conditioner combo would cost. However, a heat pump lasts as long as its competition.
Some manufacturers also now have “lease to own” programs that can be a great way of adopting the technology. The loan is secured by the unit, so credit is not a problem. A home line of credit continues to be a low-cost way to finance things if you have access to that. And in the City of Toronto, the Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) program offers loans at as little as 2% interest that are tied to your property, so if you end up selling your home before the loan is paid off, the buyer assumes the loan through their property tax payments.
And what about operating costs?
For my home, it costs 75% less to run the heat pump system than it would to heat with gas and cool with a conventional A/C because the heat pump is so efficient. But again, it will depend on the specifics of your home. My home is super well insulated, which is also a great way to save money. For the typical natural gas heated home, the savings in operating costs will go a long way to make up for the capital costs over the life of the unit, especially if your existing furnace and AC are not top-ranked for efficiency.
In the case of a home that is heated with electric baseboard units, operating costs with a heat pump will be significantly lower because the heat pump is so much more efficient. And you get A/C to boot. The same for homes heated with propane or fuel oil.
Heat pumps also generally have lower maintenance costs than a conventional furnace-A/C combo.
So who should be looking at this technology?
Certainly anyone with electric baseboard, propane or fuel oil heating. And anyone in the market for a new furnace- A/C combo could well come out ahead by switching. Remember that natural gas prices have risen by 27% since 2013 and will likely continue to climb thanks to carbon pricing and other market factors -- we’re coming out of a period of rock-bottom gas prices. And even if you don’t want to replace your furnace, you can explore an add-on heat pump unit to cut gas use and add A/C to your home.
What is the environmental benefit?
Well, this is where the technology really shines. Because Ontario got rid of dirty coal, our electricity is now very low carbon – and heat pumps run on electricity. So you will dramatically reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating your home -- by up to 90%. Now, if you combined this with solar on your home, you could make the electricity the system uses even lower carbon. So this is a great way to address the biggest climate impact of your home. And you can do that in many cases while saving money or spending the same as you do now – a huge win-win!
Heat pumps use standard refrigeration technology which is reliable and time-proven. With technology advances and the introduction of new incentive programs, the life cycle costs of heat pumps are very competitive when compared with gas furnaces.
The savings in operational costs and maintenance far surpass the initial investment, making heat pumps a more economically viable solution in the long term.
BurlingtonGreen's heat pumps survey
Test your knowledge of heat pumps. We'll bet some of the facts will surprise you!
Visit Union Gas for more information on available rebates.
BurlingtonGreen graciously thanks the following sponsors for their support of this program:
Community Champion sponsor NUVO Network:
.
