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Stop Using Fossil Fuels in homes and cars

Homes and personal vehicles are major users of fossil fuels, and therefore offer opportunities for individual actions that can make a difference.

Energy Fairs

To provide you with technical and financial information to help you stop using fossil fuels in your homes and cars, we hold an annual Energy Fair.

2026

The 2026 Franklin County Energy Fair was held Nov 5, 2026 at the John Zon Community Center. It was co-organized by Greening Greenfield and the Franklin Regional Council of Government (FRCOG) and co-sponsored by the Sustainable Greenfield Implementation Committee (SGIC).

Nancy Hazard gave a brief introduction about the program and her personal experience in updating her home.  Allison Gage of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) then gave an overview of a handout from the information packet that explains the technical and financial support available for decarbonizing our homes and vehicles.  Following that, each vendor introduced themselves, explained what they offer, and invited participants to their tables.  Over 40 attendees chatted with the vendors about products and services that fit their income level and interest.  Of particular note, Eversource brought a new outdoor mobile exhibit showcasing examples of a heat pump, an induction stove, a solar battery storage unit and more.  GCTV videotaped the event.

Here are the resources from the 2026 Energy Fair:  Information packet,  Video of the event.

2025

Here are the resources from the 2025 Energy Fair: Information packet,  Video of the event.

Our Homes

Moving from using fossil fuels to green electricity (zero carbon electricity) is necessary and possible.  Fortunately, there is a lot of assistance, both financial and technical.  Upgrading our homes to stop using fossil fuels is a multi-step process.  These don’t need to be done all at once;  it will take time.

  1. Weatherize:  Reduce your home energy use by weatherizing your home – air sealing, insulating, and possibly updating your windows and doors.  This will reduce your heating bill, make your home more comfortable, and reduce climate change emissions.

  2. Convert heating system:  To stop using fossil fuels, switch your heating system to an electric heat pump system.  This will not only heat your home, but also provide air conditioning and dehumidification in the summer.

  3. Convert hot water heating:  Traditional electric water heaters are okay, but not very efficient.  If you are switching from gas or oil, explore heat pump hot water heaters and solar hot water systems. Hot water heat is typically 18% of energy use in our home.  

  4. Convert your cookstove:  If you have an electric stove, congratulations!  If not, ideally switch to a very energy efficient electric induction stove with a convection oven.  This will reduce your energy use and greatly improve the air quality in your home.  (New cookware may be necessary.)

To find resources to take action, go to the Home Energy Aspect.  

Our Cars

Under construction

To find resources to take action, go to the Transportation Aspect  for information on Personal Electric Vehicles.

Resources

To take the actions needed to make these changes, see the Aspects section of our Energy page for Resources and Background Materials.