Action Title Description
Staying Clean with Less Hot Water Palo Alto - Bath vs Shower

Palo Alto - Shower Timer

View these short local videos to learn how a shower uses less water, and the benefits of shower timers.
Becoming a Wise Buyer Palo Alto - Repair Café

Repair Café Palo Alto - Repair Cafe is a non-profit that holds quarterly events where you can take your damaged and broken appliances, furniture, clothing, bicycles and other household items and work with repair volunteers to fix them for FREE!  Extend the life of appliances, save money, and reduce the environmental impacts of creating, transporting, and disposing of significant assets.
Reducing Food Waste at Home Palo Alto - Compost at Home

Compost at Home - Take a FREE class to learn how to turn you food scraps into compost and to get a FREE compost bin while supplies last. Compost improves soil structure, helps it absorb and hold moisture, supplies slow-release nutrients to plants and reduces erosion. It also reduces waste, conserves water and reduces pollution. 
Creating Sustainable Landscaping Palo Alto - Going Native Garden Tour

California Native Plant Society (Santa Clara Valley Chapter)

UCCE Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County

Held in the spring, this annual free tour of native gardens is organized by the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society and the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County.
Reducing Water Used for Lawns Palo Alto - SCVWD Irrigation Rebates

Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) offers rebates for irrigation equipment upgrades. 
Finding and Fixing Water Leaks in Your Home Palo Alto - WaterWise Survey Program

Video: Meter Link Test

Video: House Line Test

Video: Toilet Leak Test

Video: Measure Flow Rates

In partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD),  Palo Alto residents can take advantage of a two-part water saving program, which includes the Water Wise Outdoor Survey and the Do-it-Yourself Water Wise Indoor Survey. The Do-it-Yourself kit includes a flow rate bag for testing shower and sink flow rates and dye tablets to test toilets for leaks.

See also these step-by-step videos, which teach you how to perform a series of leak-detection tests, and how to test the flow rates of your sinks and showers.

 
Developing a Communication and Evacuation Plan * Palo Alto - Stay Informed

Local Authorities can provide alerts when evacuations may be necessary; register to stay informed via PAPD social media channels.
Bringing your Footprint to Zero Palo Alto - Carbon Neutral Natural Gas

Carbon Neutral Natural Gas Portfolio Plan

Note: This automatic carbon-offset purchase is described for your information (FYI). The offset program is not optional in nature.

Natural gas is a fossil fuel and its use will always produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a first step towards reducing carbon in the atmosphere stemming from natural gas use, in 2016 Palo Alto City Council approved the Carbon Neutral Natural Gas Portfolio Plan, which calls for the purchase of carbon offsets to balance GHG emissions from our natural gas use. City of Palo Alto Utilities customers automatically pay for the offsets through a carbon offset charge of 4 cents per therm, which represents about 4% of the gas portion of a customer’s utility bill. The City’s longer-term goal is  to reduce the use of natural... more

Buying an Energy-Efficient Car Palo Alto - Bay Area SunShares

Bay Area SunShares – This solar group-buy program has also offered electric vehicle (EV) discounts. The limited-time program typically runs from August through November. Check the website for more information and to find out if EVs will be included in the offering. Since Palo Alto's electricity is 100% carbon neutral, driving an electric vehicle (EV) in Palo Alto is especially beneficial.
Buying an Energy-Efficient Car Palo Alto - EV web resources

Information and resources related to driving an electric vehicle in Palo Alto.

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