Slightly different to the usual post that I would rock out on Toby&Roo, but today I wanted to talk to you about HomeHero today as I think it’s something that we can all agree (ahem, not you Mr Trump) that it is massively important to think about climate change and our future. I know, I know, I said that boring C word (not the other C word, what do you take me for… though if I refer you back to Mr Trump that could be applicable…) but HomeHero is NOT boring. Far from it, and that is why I wanted to shout about it today.
HomeHero is a Facebook page where you play to save energy, money and win prizes. Yup, you can actually do something fun to help the planet from the comfort of your own hizang.
Basically, to meet the Paris 2025 Climate target, each British home needs to reduce CO2 emissions by 1 tonne a year. How mental is that? So what HomeHero has done is take this daunting figure and translates CO2 into party balloons. When you pledge to save home energy, cute balloons float up your mobile phone screen. Who doesn’t love a party balloon? The game is to find 100,000 party balloons and to help players reach the 100,000 goal, HomeHero is running a competition in sync with Earth Hour.
Players who pledge over 100,000 party balloons and post their score along with #100kBalloons will be entered into a draw for £5,000!! FIVE BIG ONES people – all for playing a game and as a by product helping save the planet… I think that calls for a BOOM. If you’ve already been playing and you think you can enter your impressive scores, you can do so here and be in with the chance to WIN.
I still don’t get it… how does HomeHero work?
Even a total gaming muppet like me can grasp this one, it’s pretty easy so listen up:
- Start a conversation with HomeHero on Facebook messenger.
- Select Competition. Start playing by taking pictures of your home appliances and sending them to HomeHero.
- very step is as simple as texting a friend.
- Your appliance can be a cooker, tumble dryer, dishwasher – basically anything that uses energy in your home.
- HomeHero guesses what the machine is and gives the CO2 tally for the device.
- A hero action pops up for that appliance. For example, the hero action for my tumble dryer was :
· Drying your clothes outside when it is fair can save £20 per year & 6,000 balloons of CO2
- The next step is to pledge to go through with that action.
Pledging to follow through with my hero action meant I would save 6000 balloons of CO2 and £20 annually.
Pledging also got me to level 2 in the game: Energy Aware.
Moving forward with another example of just how this could be the easiest 5k EVER, my next picture was of my cooker.
My hero action for this?
· The most efficient way to cook is in large batches and make use of your fridge/freezer. Just cutting down on food waste can save 4,100 balloons of CO2 and £120 per year
My pledge to do that cut 4,100 balloons of CO2 and would save me £120 per year.
HomeHero congratulated me on reaching the next level: Energy Expert.
I’m not joking – it’s that simple. You sign up, you find out what you can do and then you pledge to DO IT. Done.
What’s this about Earth Hour then?
Earth Hour is happening this year on March 25th. HomeHero and Earth Hour both know that we need to be a little bit incentivised for caring for the planet – it’s too easy NOT to care, to forget and carry on as you do. In order to help people to reach their 100,000 balloons by Earth Hour, HomeHero is offering a chance to win £5,000. All players need to do is pledge at least 100,000 party balloons and post their score along with #100kBalloons. According to HomeHero, over 6,000,000 (!!) balloons have been pledged so far.
To put that in context, it’s the amount of CO2 emitted in a year by 40 cars.
A lot more effective than turning off the lights for an hour. And way more fun.
I never thought I would stalk the appliances in my own home or manage to get the kids to be excited about helping me hang out laundry etc, but here I am on appliance number six. Would it be cheating to pop into the neighbours?
You can message HomeHero here to enter the Earth Hour competition for your chance to win £5,000.
Good luck everyone, and GET SAVING!
H x
*Collaborative content with HomeHero
This sounds great and it’s good that not only can you help reduce CO2 but you can also have a chance to winning such a nice prize.
I still don’t quite know where I stand on Climate Change, nothing has yet convinced me that it is a thing I need to be worrying about, I have other things which take presidence over it but I do love conversations and actions like this x
It is important to reduce your carbon footprint. It seems like such a daunting task, but Home Hero seems like it could be really useful as a reminder.
Such an interesting way to get people to be involved and care about reducing CO2 emissions. It certainly seems like an easy game to play and if people carry through with what they pledge to do whilst playing the game, it will really help the earth. I’m sure lots of people would be happy to win the money as well!
what a fun way to learn about eco in your home x