Conservation

Heating & Cooling

Install ceiling fans and use them to supplement or even as an alternative to air conditioning – ceiling fans generally use very little electricity. Make sure your fan is blowing air downwards in summer.

To save money on heating costs, reduce the temperature of your home a few degrees at night and when you're away.
Keep blinds, shades and drapes closed during the hottest part of the day in the summer. (And open south-facing blinds on sunny winter days!)
Use area rugs on cold floors – if your feet are cold, your body will feel cold.

If you feel cool, put on a sweater rather than simply turning up the thermostat.

Clean or replace the air filter on your furnace every month to improve efficiency.

To save more on central AC costs, try cooling your home to only 24 or 25 degrees celsius instead of the low 20’s. Each degree below 26 degrees celsius will noticeably increase your electricity use!

Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer.

Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.

Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if in doubt about how to perform this task, call a professional.

Use kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans wisely; in just 1 hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warmed or cooled air. Turn fans off as soon as they have done the job.

If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.

Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is going. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney.

House fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. They are effective when operated at night and when the outside air is cooler than the inside.

Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.

Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.

Water Heater

Showers save hot water – a typical bath uses approximately 75 litres of hot water, while a 5-minute shower with an efficient showerhead will use about half of that.

Be sure to use the vacation setting or turn off the water heater when you are out of town.

Fix leaky faucets – that little drip can add up to 95 litres of water per faucet per month, and cost you 7 kWh per month.

Installing low flow aeraters on faucets can save water and energy.

Drain a pail of water from your natural gas hot water tank every 3 months, or as recommended by the manufacturer, to remove sediment that prevents heat transfer, lowering the unit’s efficiency.

On average, water heaters use the most energy in the home after heating. A 175-litre tank can use up to 5000 kWh per year, a cost of almost $500 at today’s prices.

Wrapping your electric water heater in a special tank blanket can reduce its electricity use.

Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 115°F provides comfortable hot water for most uses.

Consider the installation of a drain water waste heat recovery system.

Windows (cold climate)

Install exterior or interior storm windows; storm windows can reduce your heat loss through the windows by 25% to 50%.

Storm windows should have weather-stripping at all moveable joints; be made of strong, durable materials; and have interlocking or overlapping joints. Low-e storm windows save even more energy.

Repair and weatherize your current storm windows, if necessary.

Install tight fitting, insulating window shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing.

Close your curtains and shades at night; open them during the day.

Keep windows on the south side of your house clean to maximize solar gain.

Windows (warm climate)

Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house.

Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day.

Install awnings on south- and west-facing windows.

Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows to reduce solar gain.

Landscaping

Trees that lose their leaves in the fall (i.e. deciduous) are the most effective at reducing heating and cooling energy costs. When selectively placed around a house, they provide excellent protection from the summer sun but permit winter sunlight to reach and warm your house.

Vines provide shading and cooling. Grown on trellises, vines can shade windows or the whole side of a house.

Deflect winter winds by planting evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and west sides of your house; deflect summer winds by planting on the south and west sides of your house.

Refrigerators

Don’t let freezers build up more than 6 mm of frost. Defrost regularly to keep freezers working their best.

Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37° to 40°F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 5°F for the freezer section. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be kept at 0°F.

To check refrigerator temperature, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the center of the refrigerator. Read it after 24 hours. To check the freezer temperature, place a thermometer between frozen packages. Read it after 24 hours.

Don’t keep that old, inefficient refrigerator running in the basement for occasional refreshments. It could cost you $150 or more per year in electricity.

Don’t overfill the refrigerator, as this blocks air circulation. Conversely, a full freezer will perform better than an empty one.

Check your refrigerator’s door seal by closing the door on a $5 bill. If it’s held tightly in place, the seal’s OK; if not, the door should be adjusted or the seal replaced.

Clean your refrigerator’s coils (back) and air intake grill (below the doors) every 3 months.

Keep refrigerators and freezers out of direct sunlight, and allow at least 5 centimetres all around (or as recommended by the manufacturer) to allow heat to escape from the compressor and condensing coil.

Allow hot foods to cool before putting them in the refrigerator.

The refrigerator is one of the biggest electricity guzzlers in most homes. While efficiency has improved a lot in recent years, even top-of-the-line models can use more electricity than ENERGY STAR-qualified refrigerators.

Be sure to check the EnerGuide label on every fridge, and consider energy savings in your buying decision. Invest a little more and buy an ENERGY STAR®-qualified model. ENERGY STAR®-qualified refrigerators exceed minimum federal energy efficiency standards for energy consumption by at least 10%, which will save you more money in the long run.

Look for a refrigerator with automatic moisture control. Models with this feature have been engineered to prevent moisture accumulation on the cabinet exterior without the addition of a heater. This is not the same thing as an "anti-sweat" heater. Models with an anti-sweat heater will consume 5% to 10% more energy than models without this feature.

Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.

Stove & Oven

When using the stove, be sure to put lids on pots in order to keep the heat in the pot, which enables you to use lower heat settings!

Use an electric kettle to boil water – not the stove, which is less efficient.

Generally, thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator before cooking, unless the label says otherwise.

If you put aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven to catch drippings, make sure the foil does not block any of the oven’s circulation holes and don’t put foil on the oven racks.

Turn off the oven just before finishing – the oven will remain hot long enough to complete the job.

Don’t use a bigger pot than you need, and match it to the right size element.

A general rule: for smaller cooking jobs, use smaller appliances (i.e., instead of your range or cooktop, use the electric kettle, toaster oven or microwave.)

Microwave ovens use up to 75% less energy, so whenever possible, use a microwave instead of your stove or oven.

Dishwasher

Try to operate with a full load and use the energy-saving cycle.

Don’t waste hot water by pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher – just scrape off food and empty liquids.

Let your dishes air dry; if you don't have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will dry faster.– you can save 10% of the cost of operation.

Load dishes according to manufacturer’s instructions to allow for proper water circulation.

Check and clean drains and filters regularly to ensure efficient operation.

If you’re planning to buy a new dishwasher, consider investing in an ENERGY STAR®-qualified model, which is at least 25% more efficient than the least efficient dishwasher.

Using a dishwasher can actually be more efficient than washing dishes by hand, assuming you use the dishwasher once for every 3 to 4 times you would wash dishes by hand.

In winter, Ontario's greatest demand for electricity usually occurs from 4 to 9 PM. Try switching non-essential chores to the off-peak times between 9 PM and 7 AM. On hot summer days, the greatest overall demand for electricity is usually from 10 AM to 4 PM, but high residential use can extend to midnight, because of air conditioner usage.

Don't use the "rinse hold" on your machine for just a few soiled dishes. It uses 3 to 7 gallons of hot water each time you use it.

Clothes Washer and Dryer

Always use cold water for the RINSE cycle. Using warm or hot water for the RINSE cycle does not get your clothes any cleaner.

Run full loads whenever possible but don’t overload the machines.

Wash your clothes in cold or warm water. A whopping 85-90% of the energy used by washing machines is for heating the water!

You can save a lot of energy by lowering the water temperature.

Try using cold or warm water for the WASH cycle, instead of hot water. Hot water shrinks and fades your clothes, and wears them out more quickly.

Make sure clothes are effectively wrung before putting them in the dryer. (Front-loading washers are the best at squeezing the water out!)

Separate loads into heavy, medium and lightweight items – lighter loads will take less drying time than a mixture of items.

Dry consecutive loads to utilize otherwise wasted heat from the dryer.

Clean the lint filter after every load. (A clogged lint filter can increase energy use up to 30%, and may be a fire hazard!)

Get some fresh air! Consider using a clothesline to dry your laundry.

Home Office & Other Savings around the Home

Computers and related components use electricity even when they are not in use. Plug each computer component into a power bar that can be shut off, to avoid wasting electricity with the ‘standby’ power feature.

Consider energy-efficient computer systems and monitors when you replace a system. Make sure you enable your computer’s energy-saving features.

Be sure to at least shut off the computer screen, as 60% of the power used by a computer is used by the monitor! (The other 40% is used to keep your hard drive spinning and to power the electronics.)

Put your home entertainment systems on a power bar and turn off the bar when you are not using them. (Components without clocks and timers, of course.)

Unplug infrequently used TVs, as many continue to draw power even when turned off.

Put swimming pool pumps on a timer, or run them only a few hours a day. Keep the filter clean for greater efficiency.

Use a solar blanket to keep swimming pool water warm overnight, and use your heater only when necessary.

Solar pool heaters (roughly $3,000 to $5,000) can be a cost-effective purchase when you add together equipment, installation and fuel costs for a traditional heater. Check them out.

Less energy is consumed when computers and monitors are turned on and off (as often as required) than when left on over time. In fact, all electronic devices use more energy when left on, as opposed to being turned on and off as needed.

Lighting

Turn off lights whenever you leave a room or don’t need them, even for just a few minutes. Contrary to popular belief, less energy is consumed when lights are turned on and off as you come and go than if a light is left on all the time.

You can lower overall energy demand by concentrating bright light where you need it rather than evenly lighting the entire room – this is called ‘task lighting’.

Opening your blinds is a free way to brighten up a room.

For any light that must be on all night (e.g. stairways), replace the bulbs with the lowest wattage bulbs that you’re comfortable with or consider a compact fluorescent or a nightlight.

Decorate your home with illumination in mind – lighter colours reflect light, so use them in areas you want to be bright.

Keep light fixtures clean – a cleaner bulb is a brighter bulb.

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They cost more than regular light bulbs (starting at $5), but can use 75% less electricity and last years longer. One compact fluorescent bulb can save you three times its cost in electricity.

For outside lighting, install a motion sensor that turns the lights on automatically when somebody walks by, then turns the lights off automatically after 1 to 5 minutes.

Dimmer switches are not just a great way to set the mood, they’re an inexpensive way (starting at $10) to save energy. (Don’t use with compact fluorescent bulbs.)

Use 4-foot fluorescent fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts for your workroom, garage, and laundry areas.

Consider using 4-watt mini-fluorescent or electro-luminescent night lights. Both lights are much more efficient than their incandescent counterparts. The luminescent lights are cool to the touch.

Use CFLs in all the portable table and floor lamps in your home. Consider carefully the size and fit of these systems when you select them. Some home fixtures may not accommodate some of the larger CFLs.

What you can do immediately to save energy at the office:

Turn off PCs, monitors, printers, and copiers when not in use or not needed. If you cannot turn off the entire computer, turn off the monitor and the printer.
Disable the screensaver on your monitor, and enable the power management tool on your PC.

Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms, and "half-dim" lights in occupied rooms.

Send documents via email instead of fax.

Remove excess lights. Many older office and warehouse buildings have more lighting then needed. In many areas, half the light may be sufficient to light the area. When removing excess fluorescent tubes, remember to disconnect the ballasts that serve them.

In the winter, keep draperies and shades on south-facing windows open to allow sunlight to enter your home; and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows.

For cell phone users, charge your phone using a car adapter that hooks into the cigarette lighter, instead of using the charger that plugs into a wall outlet.

Retrofit incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs. Seventy percent of what comes off the 100-watt bulb is heat, not light.

If possible, avoid using major household appliances (washer, dryer and oven) during the peak periods of energy demand.

Connect your PC, monitor, fax machine and computer "peripherals" to one power strip, and then turn off that power strip when not in use and every night.

Install separate switches for smaller areas. Often in large buildings, dozens of lights are controlled by a single switch, and not all of them need to be on. These lights can be rewired into smaller groups of lights on independent switches. This way only those that are needed can be turned on.

Make sure warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators are not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.

Reduce heating costs by closing a door to an unoccupied room or area that is isolated from the rest of the office or house.

Dust off light bulbs. Dirty, greasy, smoky light bulbs can reduce light output by as much as 10 percent. You'll avoid the tendency of switching to a stronger bulb, which will use more energy.

Fax and copy only when really necessary. Sometimes we take advantage of these common luxuries, but there was a day when we didn't have them. If you must make copies, make all you need in one batch, then turn the machine off if you know it won't be needed again soon.

Open freight doors only when needed. When trucks are actively being loaded or unloaded, leave the doors open. As soon as the job is done, close the doors to conserve energy.

Take the stairs; instead of the elevator. You'll save energy and get a little exercise to boot.

Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent lamps, and save on approximately 30-38 percent of your lighting costs.

Enter and exit quickly. Every time an exterior door opens, a large amount of heat escapes, and cold air replaces it. Open outside doors as little as possible, and when you do, do so quickly. You also can use this as an excuse to send door-to door solicitors on their way.

Use task lighting. If you're working diligently at a desk or workbench, other light in the room could be turned off or dimmed.

Use rotating doors. If there's a choice in your building, use rotating doors instead of standard hinged or sliding doors. They allow less heat to escape.

This spring, inspect and clean both the indoor and outdoor coils of your air conditioner. Dirt build up on your coils is the single most common cause of poor efficiency.

Insulate attic access and basement trap doors with R-19 insulation.

Replace single-glazed windows with double-glazed, low-emissive, windows, beginning with the most frequently used rooms.

Paint and decorate in light colors. Dark colors absorb light. Light colors reflect light. The lighter the colors you use, the less artificial lighting is required to illuminate the area.

Check your lamp shades. Many shades are decorative but absorb light or reflect it in the wrong direction. Without us attempting to be your interior decorator, you may consider switching to a more efficient shade in a lighter color.

ENERGY FACTS:

If an office with 30 workers turns their computers off at night and on weekends, the group can save $3,000 in energy costs a year. (data according the Bonneville Power Authority)

For every degree you lower your heat in the 50-degree to 70-degree range, you'll save up to 5% on heating costs.

Installing an electronic thermostat can reduce a household's energy bills. If programmed correctly, it will lower the temperature setting (or raise it in the summer) when the house is vacant during the day or when the household is asleep.
You can cut your heating costs up to 25% simply by installing proper ceiling insulation to at least R-30 standards. Insulate walls, floors and heating ducts, too. This insulation will not only keep heat from escaping, but will also make your home more comfortable.
Modern buildings designed to harvest daylight, typically use 40 to 60 percent less electricity for lighting than do conventional buildings. In turn, consumers and businesses save money without reducing comfort
If you replaced four incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, you'd save the equivalent of 2,400 Ibs. of coal over the life of the bulbs. (data according to the Bonneville Power Authority)