Spring, summer, fall and winter – year round there are lots of ways to decrease your energy consumption and save money.
Spring
- Vacuum your fridge coils. Dirt and hair can build up making the motor labour harder, using more electricity.
- Hang insulated drapery – it keeps the sun out in the spring and summer making it easier to cool your home and keeps the heat in your home in the fall and winter.
- Get rid of that second fridge. Old refrigerators use twice as much electricity as newer models and cost $150 or more per year in electricity.
- Clean your hot water heater. Minerals from inside the tank settle on the bottom, making it harder to heat your water.
- Put up a clothesline. Drying 1 load of laundry a day costs you over $20 a month.
- Shade any air conditioners you have – you can save up to 10%.
- Alter light timers when the clockers spring ahead or fall behind.
- Examine and service air conditioners before the summer heat hits.
- New ENERGY STAR (www.energystar.gov) windows assist in decrease heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter.
Summer
- Use ceiling and transportable fans to cool your home they are much easier on electricity that air conditioners. Ceiling fans only cost about $2 per monthly to operate.
- If your freezer is empty – fill plastic containers with water and place them in your freezer because a freezer works more efficiently if it is full.
- Turn off air conditioners when you are not home and turn them down when going to bed.
- Pick the right sized air conditioner for your home; one that is too big will waste electricity. ENERGY STAR® (www.energystar.gov) air conditioners will help you save money.
- Use your BBQ as much as possible, not only is it healthy but will also save you money. Stoves/ovens use a lot of energy and can make your home too hot in the summer.
- Change the filters in air conditioner monthly. The more they build-up the harder the air conditioner works to cool the air.
- Open your windows to let more air flow through your home.
- Use microwaves and toaster ovens more that stoves and full ovens – this will use less energy and keep your home cooler.
Fall
- Use motion detectors and timers to turn outside lights on and off.
- Put a thin layer of plastic film over one pane windows to decrease heat loss. .
- Take short showers under low flow showerheads which use 50% less water as regular showerheads.
- Bank around the exterior of your house with straw bales or bags of leaves to increase the insulation between you and the upcoming winter months.
- Adjust outdoor light timers for the length of day as it shortens.
- Remove window air conditioners and store for the winter. This will reduce the heat loss out your windows.
- Make sure your home has lots of insulation in the attic to keep the heat in your home in the winter and out of your home in the summer.
- Get your heating system serviced before the winter hits.
Winter
- Change from incandescent to compact fluorescents light bulbs which use up to 75% less electricity.
- Decorate for the Holidays with LED lights – they can last up to 10x longer and use up to 90% less electricity.
- Turn down your thermostat by 5 °C at night or when you are not home or on vacation. Use a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature of your home according to your schedule.
- Open drapes on sunny days to allow heat to come in to your home, but close them at night to help keep heat in your home.
- Plug entrainment devices such as televisions, DVD players and video game consoles into a power bar and switch off at night or when no one is home. This eliminates having the devises on standby using power.
- Seal leaks around windows and doors to save up to 20% on your monthly home heating bill.
- Turn the heat off in any room in your home you do not use - this will use less electricity but keep your home comfortable in the areas you use.
- Change your furnace filters often, this can save up to 5% off your monthly electricity bill.
- Make sure none of your furnace vents are blocked, so your furnace will run as efficiently as possible.
- Ensure your ceiling fans are moving clockwise which pushes warm air down in to the room from the ceiling.
- Open drapes on sunny days to allow heat to come in to your home, but close them at night to help keep heat in your home.