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Departments > Planning & Development > Development Services Division > Current Green Initiatives > Turn it Off Challenge City of Victoria Wins BC Hydro's Turn it Off Challenge! 
In 2007 the City of Victoria was awarded top honours in the BC Hydro Turn it Off Challenge, winning $20,000 towards the retrofit of a City building. BC Hydro's Turn it Off Challenge was designed to encourage municipal employees to reduce their energy use by having them turn off and unplug all unnecessary fixtures, appliances and office equipment in municipal and public facilities. Over 66 municipalities in British Columbia participated in the Challenge. The City of Victoria competed against 13 organizations in the Large Cities and Districts category (more than 51,000 residents), moving from fourth place in mid-July to first place in the final two weeks. The Turn it Off Challenge ran from June 1 to August 31, 2007. The municipality that earned the most points in its size category, won a $20,000 Power Smart makeover for one municipal building. Winners were announced at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention in Vancouver in September. By taking part, the City of Victoria demonstrated to the community how small changes can lead to big returns in energy conservation. It also worked towards a corporate culture of energy conservation as opposed to one of energy use that will continue long after the Challenge is over. 
The City's Turn it Off Initiatives The City of Victoria developed and implemented a range of energy conservation initiatives during the Turn it Off Challenge, including an energy conservation mascot, the Power Fairy, and its very own Men in Black. More... Turn it Off Tips for at Home Below are some tips to conserving electricity in your own home. LIGHTING: Turn off lights whenever you leave a room in your home. Turn off all lights at night. Turn off lights near windows when day lighting is adequate. Enjoy natural light whenever possible. APPLIANCES: Turn off all unnecessary appliances, high tech devices and gadgets like computers and stereos. Run the dishwasher only with a full load and use air-dry and economy settings. HEAT or HEATERS: Only heat the rooms you need by closing vents and doors of unused rooms. Set your thermostat using a programmable timer. Wear clothing for the season. SAVE WATER: Take five-minute showers instead of baths and use cold water for laundry. Heating water uses electricity. Use a water-saving showerhead. TRANSPORTATION: Carpool, use transit, use your bicycle or electric scooter. CAR IDLING: Turn off the engine if your vehicle is parked for 10 seconds or longer. COMPUTER & MONITOR: Turn off your monitor if you’re leaving your home computer for more than 30-40 minutes. Turn off your computer when not in use or at the end of the day. PRINTING: Use the double-sided/duplex printing feature. ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Unplug your charger when you are not using it, or plug everything on a power bar to easily turn off all devices at once. For more home energy conservation tips, visit: http://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/elibrary/elibrary615.html Library Resources
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