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ReEnergize PGH, an initiative of the nonprofit organization GTECH (Growth Through Energy and Community Health), is a community outreach program designed to reduce energy consumption in homes.

Kathy Hrabovsky and Abby Lawler-Morycz are Mt. Lebanon’s representatives for the project, which is funded for a year with hopes of securing more permanent funding. Hrabovsky is a member of Mt. Lebanon’s Environmental Sustainability Board, and both are on the Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team, a community volunteer group.

The two are trying to raise awareness of the range of actions, slight and substantial, that homeowners can take to reduce energy consumption.
“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” says Hrabovsky.

Small inexpensive do-it-yourself projects such as  caulking around windows or insulating water heater pipes can make a difference, as can buying a smart power strip that can reduce the level of “vampire” power drain that appliances on power standby can command.

Lawler-Morycz and Hrabovsky are looking for opportunities to spread the word to service clubs, condo groups and homeowners’ associations about possibilities for reducing their energy costs. They hope to connect people with a network of home energy professionals and increase awareness of some funding programs that can help defray the cost of more substantial home improvements. To learn more about Reenergize PGH, visit www.reenergizepgh.org/mtlebanon or email reenergize.mt.lebanon@gmail.com.