Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program
Residents in Sharon are transitioning away from fossil fuels – mainly gas and oil – to renewable sources of energy. For the homeowner, these changes establish a safer and healthier home environment and lower the cost of utility bills. For the town, they help achieve the goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, set by Sharon Town Meeting in 2019. For the planet, they eliminate those harmful emissions that cause climate change by trapping heat.
Sustainable Sharon Coalition is contributing to these efforts by launching the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program: a mechanism for residents considering changes to speak with volunteer advisors who are willing to share their experience with various environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient purchases and home improvements. While we recommend that homeowners with questions do some background reading, obtain a home energy assessment, develop a plan, speak to multiple contractors, etc., we also see the value in speaking with a neighbor or local resident who can provide personal experience and “do’s and don’ts.”
Become a volunteer advisor: If you're willing to participate in this initiative, please complete the Volunteer Advisor Signup Form: https://tinyurl.com/sscneighbor. The brief form asks you to select what you have done from a list of environmentally-friendly purchases or home improvements; and if you are willing to discuss your experiences, offer advice, and/or answer questions via email, phone, virtual meeting, and/or participating in a panel discussion.
Ask for advice and ideas: If you are looking for some guidance to help you electrify and improve the energy efficiency of your home, you can fill out the Resident Question Submission Form: https://tinyurl.com/sscresident. We will put you in touch with one or more of the volunteer advisors. Remember that these volunteers only speak from personal experience; they are not professional contractors and they may not be able to answer questions specific to your home and situation. When possible, we will recommend helpful organizations and resources for further information.
Whether you are interested in asking for help or advising others, thank you for participating in the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program. Please help spread the word by sharing this page and informing your friends and neighbors. If you have questions or comments, send an email to the SSC Special Energy Interest Group at seig@sustainablesharon.org.
In addition to the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program, Sustainable Sharon Coalition can help residents reduce their carbon footprint in other ways. SSC has partnered with local vendors for home energy assessments, rooftop solar, and community solar; see our webpage Initiatives. We also provide content on our webpage Resources: Energy & Renewables about solar, the clean energy home, and electric vehicles; for each topic we offer some basic information along with links to credible organizations and articles.
