Innisfail ranked first out of 42 Albertan communities which FortisAlberta measured for electricity reduction as a result of Earth Hour.
Earth Hour is an annual event which encourages people to switch off their lights for one hour out of a concern for the environment. This year Earth Hour took place on March 23, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
To measure the effectiveness of this year's event, FortisAlberta calculated total electricity consumption between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on both Saturday, March 23 and Saturday, March 16 in 42 of the communities it services.
Innisfail saved 26.2 per cent of energy during Earth Hour when compared to usage during the same hour a week previous. It was enough energy (4,897 kW) to power 5,441 average-sized households for one hour.
Innisfail ranked No. 1 this year in terms of the largest percentage of energy saved. Hinton, Sylvan Lake, Olds and Morinville ranked just behind Innisfail.
Not only did Innisfail rank higher than other communities, the town also set a record since the electricity provider tracked Earth Hour savings.
“Innisfail has set a record with us for the most energy savings since we've been tracking this information three years ago,” spokesperson Kate Bowering said.
In 2012, Earth Hour in Innisfail produced just 4.3 per cent energy savings when compared to the same hour a week previous.
FortisAlberta suggests a number of ways for people to improve energy efficiency. They include turning the lights off whenever leaving a room, replacing conventional lights with LED lights and using reading lights rather than overhead lights when only a small amount of light is required.
Bowering said energy savings are important to customers.
“Environmental issues are on the top of people's minds for sure,” Bowering said.
