Meet the hardiest people out there, the Pothier/Jones family! Chris and Geoff have lived in their family home in Brooktondale for the past 40 years. When they moved in, the furnace was already 30 years old! But, Geoff, as a mechanic–and the both of them as avid re-users and DIYers–kept that bad boy maintained and working like a charm for 40 more years. However, it came to a point where they were ready to get off of fossil fuels completely, so they started attending workshops to learn more about the programs out there and what they could do, eager to do the right thing for the Earth. After connecting with Heatsmart, they decided to work with NP Environmental, who dug them a vertical well geothermal system. They also had a much-needed upgrade to their electrical system and even had an old, buried oil tank removed from their property. So far, they’ve been incredibly pleased with their heat pump. Chris said the heating is so much more consistent – no more frustrating hot and cold zones throughout the house! Despite all of this, they still keep their heat super low (sometimes even below 60F) and bundle up to save energy. They are here for a simple lifestyle and being gentle on the Earth. To help fund this project, we awarded our 62nd grant winners a $2,000 Heatsmart LMI incentive and a $1,921 carbon offset award to help them replace their gas furnace with clean heating and cooling – preventing 77 tons of CO2 from emitting into our atmosphere.