ENERGY CONSERVATION TIPS

  • Wrap a foil insulation blanket around your hot water tank (available at home improvement stores). Cover copper and metal hot water pipes with ½ inch thick foam tubing to retain water heat.
  • Run your dishwasher early in morning or late evening, and only when full.
  • Wash clothes early in morning or late evening and dry them on a clothesline.
  • Turn the lights off when you leave a room. Be a 'switch hitter'.
  • Minimize the amount of time your refrigerator and freezer doors are open.
  • Turn home computers and televisions off when not in use.
  • Install energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. They give off less heat and use as much as 75 percent less energy than regular bulbs. Replace all bulbs with lowest acceptable wattages.
  • Replace older inefficient appliances with Energy STAR rated models.
  • Heat or cool only the rooms you are using. Close off unused rooms.
  • Set your thermostat at the highest or lowest comfortable setting for each season. Try 23°C-26°C in the summer and 20°C or lower in the winter.
  • Have your heating and cooling equipment serviced or checked at least once a year.
  • Insulate your home and caulk/weather-strip around doors and windows to reduce both cooling and heating costs. These openings can consume up to 40 percent of your home's heating and cooling energy.
  • Seal leaks around wall outlets and switches.
  • Install door "shoes" or "sweeps" to stop air from sneaking in or out under outside doors.
  • Insulate your attic.
  • Shift energy-intensive tasks like laundry and dishwashing to off-peak demand hours (i.e., weekdays before 10:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m., all weekend long and all day on holidays).
  • Wash full loads in your dishwasher and let the dishes air dry. Air-drying your dishes may reduce your dishwasher's energy usage by 40 percent.
  • Use timers or motion detectors on lamps that are used for security lighting.
  • Reduce the water heater thermostat setting to 49ºC and reduce use of heated water for clothes washing. (Caution - some dishwashers require 60ºC water.)
  • Turn off and unplug appliances when not in use: lights, TVs, computers, microwaves, CD players, etc. "Standby power" usage can account for up to 30 percent of your home electronics energy. Be sure to check the owner's manual to make sure this won't impact the memory or performance of the machine.
  • Activate "sleep" features on computers and office equipment that power down while not in use. Turn them off altogether during long periods of non-use to cut utility costs and extend longevity.
  • Reduce hot water use by installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. Older showerheads deliver four to five gallons of water per minute. A new, two-and-a-half-gallon-per-minute showerhead will reduce your water consumption by one-third to one-half. A top-quality, low-flow showerhead will cost $10 to $20 and will quickly pay for itself in energy saved.
  • Use task lights, rather than general room lighting.
  • Limit display and decorative lights.
  • Unplug clocks and other small appliances in rooms you seldom use.
  • The refrigerator uses 20% of the average home's electricity. The temperature in your refrigerator should be 3°C-4°C, and the freezer 0°C-5°C. Make sure they are not running too cold. Make sure the strip around the door is in good repair. Make sure the freezer is defrosted (if this is done manually).
  • Keep the freezer full of something, such as loaves of bread or milk jugs filled with water, to keep the cold air from "falling out" when the door is opened.
  • Use a pressure cooker or microwave to save energy when possible. A pressure cooker cuts cooking time by two-thirds; a microwave uses less than half the energy of a conventional oven.
  • Make sure the lint filter in the dryer is clean. A clean filter not only saves energy, it reduces the chance of fire. Limit dryer use by hanging some clothes outside when possible, particularly large, bulky items such as jeans, towels, and blankets.
  • If you have a waterbed, keep it covered at all times. The blankets act as insulation, keeping the heat in. A waterbed in a cool room will use considerable energy even if covered as it acts as a room heater.
SUMMER
  • Close your fireplace damper during the summer to reduce cooling costs.
  • Consider window fans, ceiling fans or whole-house fans, which use much less power, as an alternative to air conditioners.
  • Close your blinds, shades or draperies during the hottest part of the day.
  • Shut off your air conditioner if you leave home for an extended period of time.
  • Air conditioners work to remove humidity, so reserve moisture-making jobs such as dishwashing, laundry and bathing for either early morning or at night when it's cooler.
  • Shade the outdoor air conditioning unit if possible. A unit in the sun will use up to 5 percent more energy than one in the shade.
  • Clean or replace the central air-conditioning filter monthly. Clean the filter in window units as well. It's behind the front panel.
  • Clean or replace your air conditioner filter regularly. Turn the air conditioner off when not at home. Raise the thermostat setting on your air conditioner 4° to 5°. or turn on ceiling fans, rather than air conditioners, to circulate air. Close shades and curtains during the day to keep the heat out.
  • Limit the use of small appliances during the day - especially heat producing appliances (such as toasters, coffee makers, electric fry pans, curling irons, etc.).
  • Plant shade trees close to the house on the south and west sides.
  • Run your pool pump in the evening or early morning hours and reset your pool timer to run during off-peak hours. If you have a pool heater, set it at 26°C or lower.
  • Shade outdoor air conditioning equipment and keep it low to the ground to reduce energy consumption by 40% or more.
  • Use the bathroom exhaust fan during and for a short time after bathing or showering to reduce heat and moisture build-up.
  • Increase Air Conditioner thermostat by 3°. This can save over 900 kWh per year, over $100 annually and over 900 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. Depending on the size of your home, you can save 3% on your cooling costs for every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer. Raising the thermostat from 23°C to 26°C can reduce cooling costs by 15%.


WINTER
  • Switch off the air conditioner breaker at the panel when summer is over. Leaving it on all winter means you are needlessly heating oil in the outside cooling unit.
  • Get a programmable thermostat to automatically lower the heat a few degrees during weekdays when nobody is home, and at night.
  • Seal joints in warm air ducts with aluminum backed tape to prevent heat from escaping.
  • Use silicone caulking to fix air leaks around baseboards, floors and windows.
  • Insulate electrical outlets and switches on exterior walls with foam gaskets available at hardware stores.
  • Ditch the old strings of Christmas lights and buy new LED lights which use 90% less electricity. Put them on a timer to automatically control periods of illumination.
  • Repair broken or cracked glass and putty older windows; check to see that windows close properly and window locks pull sashes together.
  • Make sure doors close properly. Repair or replace non-working doorknobs, latches and striker plates.
  • Weather strip windows, doors and attic accesses; caulk the frames around windows and doors from the inside using a clear, pliable caulk.
  • If you have a fireplace, be sure it is fitted with a tight sealing damper that is closed when the fireplace is not in use. If the fireplace is used infrequently, use a chimney block to eliminate heat loss.
  • Caulk foundation cracks and openings. Make sure kitchen and bathroom vent dampers close properly.
  • Install automatic setback thermostats that adjust the heat to your schedule.
  • Be sure that drapes are not blocking vents.
  • Install exterior storm windows, including cellar storm windows. For windows that are rarely opened, consider installing interior storm windows.
  • Replace standard curtains with tight sealing, insulated or quilted window coverings.
  • Keep outside heat pumps clear of debris and snow.
  • Keep drapes open during the day to allow sun and closed at night to lower your heating costs in winter.
  • Invest in storm windows or use clear plastic window insulation to help stop cold air from leaking into your house in the winter.
  • Use electric space heaters sparingly - they are expensive to run.
  • Set the thermostat as low as comfortably possible in the winter. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall heating bill will be.
  • Electric blankets are one option for keeping warm in the bedroom, with a low operating cost when compared to the cost of heating an entire room. However, electric blankets can be dangerous if improperly used, with older blankets in particular posing a significant potential fire hazard. Choose a blanket with overheat protection, follow all manufacturer's instructions, and inspect the blanket regularly for signs of overheating, damage or wear.
  • An electric mattress pad will warm the bed safely, relatively cheaply. Because it is designed to operate under covers, it will not overheat as an electric blanket may.