By Karen Klinger

Cambridge City Councilor Henrietta Davis and her husband, Richard Boch, take energy efficiency seriously and have the records to prove it. During a recent "green" tour of Cambridgeport houses, including her own, Davis held up a chart showing that since 2001, she and Boch have been able to reduce their monthly kilowatt consumption by about 30 percent.

They did it through measures such as replacing their old refrigerator, using limited air conditioning and employing a gadget called a "Kill-A-Watt" to monitor the amount of electricity electronic devices in their home use even when they are turned off. For instance, Boch discovered that a flat-panel television can consume a "ludicrous" amount of electricity when it is plugged in, but is not on. "There are many more things we can do," said Davis, noting that they plan to replace the flooring in one room with material that will provide better insulation. "It's definitely not rocket science."

Davis's house was one of four homes on the "Hastings Square Energy Efficiency Tour" sponsored by GreenPort, a neighborhood association that says it aims to mobilize Cambridgeport residents to reduce carbon emissions by changing the way they live. At another house, owner Audrey Schulman talked about how an NStar representative conducted an "energy audit" of her home and gave her advice about lowering her gas and electricity consumption.

Schulman said she subsequently installed radiant barrier insulation in her attic, put plastic seals in her window sills, pumped cellulose insulation into the walls and replaced her old thermostat with a programmable model that automatically turns down the heat at night and when nobody is home. She said she has saved about 30 percent on her energy bills when rebates from NStar are included.

Other energy-saving tips Greenport members offered during the tour included: using compact fluorescent light bulbs that consume 75 percent less electricity than standard bulbs; plugging televisions, computers and other electronic devices into power strips and turning the strips off when the devices are not in use; setting hot water heaters to no more than 120 degrees F. and using low-flow shower heads; taking the T, walking, riding a bicycle and carpooling as much as possible.

Greenport coordinator Steve Morr-Wineman said everyone interested in the group's activities is invited to come to its monthly meetings every third Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Central Square Public Library. He can be reached at swineman@gis.net or 617-876-4753 for more information.

Greenport is one of several neighborhood groups in Cambridge working toward achieving greater energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Another is the Longfellow Neighborhood Council, which is holding an "energy fair" on February 11 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the council office on the second floor, Fayette Street entrance of the Longfellow School building.

The fair will include demonstrations of energy measuring devices, solar panels, windmills and a discussion of energy audits and alternative transportation. For more information, call 617-349-6260.