Did you know that 58% of Toronto’s total emissions come from buildings, including our homes? And that almost 90% of your home’s emissions come from heating and cooling?

The Greener Homes Bedford Park community group is a collection of residents in the Bedford-Wanless Park neighbourhood who are focused on updating our homes to be healthier, more comfortable and energy-efficient, while reducing our environmental footprint in the process. When we come together to share knowledge, resources and support, we can go farther than we can individually.

We are primarily focused on electrifying our home heating and cooling to remove the need for gas-burning appliances and reduce overall energy use. The most common upgrades are heat pumps, electric water heaters and induction stoves, as well as home insulation improvements if needed.

Heat pumps are like air conditioners that work both ways, keeping your house one stable cozy temperature all year long. They are gaining traction across Canada and are already in 30% of homes in Atlantic provinces. A recent survey of 3,800 heat pump owners say 91% of them would recommend them to family and friends.

Our group is a partner community of the Toronto Home Energy Network, a non-profit that supports groups like ours across our city to help Toronto residents create healthier homes and improve our environment. Their website is a very helpful resource.