No Cost

1. Set back thermostats by 5 degrees Celsius at night or when you are away from home.
2. Keep your garage door closed when possible to prevent excessive heat loss.
3. If you have a fireplace, close the flue damper when it's not in use. A wood burning fireplace can actually draw heat out of the home, unless you have glass doors or an insert.
4. Keep electric heaters free from obstructions to allow proper air flow.
5. Use kitchen and bathroom fans sparingly. Ventilation fans can extract all of your home’s heat in 2 to 3 hours.
6. Keep curtains open during the day to let the sun’s warmth in. Close curtains at night.

 

Low Cost

1. Install high performance electronic thermostats to accurately control the temperature in your home.
2. Caulk and weather strip around doors, windows, and attic hatches.
3. Caulk around chimneys and along the edge of shared walls.
4. Caulk to seal gaps where phone, cable and electrical wires enter the home.
5. Use foam gaskets under electric switches and outlets.
6. If you do not have storm or thermal windows, cover the inside of your windows tightly with plastic or purchase a window kit.
7. Use aluminum tape to seal any joints in heating, cooling and ventilation ducts.

 

Purchases that Save

1. Upgrade the insulation in your basement or crawl space to a minimum of R12, or your attic to R40.
2. Install a programmable thermostat in the main living areas of your home to automatically set back temperature at night or when you are away from home.
3. If your heating system is at the end of its useful life, consider installing a heat pump. Heat pumps are the most energy efficient heating systems available.
4. Build an energy efficient R2000 or EnviroHome.

 

No Cost

1. Wash and rinse laundry in cold water.
2. Wash only full loads of laundry. If you must wash smaller loads, use appropriate water levels.
3. Set the dishwasher to energy or water saver mode and air dry dishes instead of heat drying.
4. Don’t rinse your dishes before loading the dishwasher.
5. Wait for a full load before using your dishwasher.
6. Take a shower instead of having a bath. A five minute shower uses substantially less water than a bath.
7. Avoid long showers.
8. Turn off your electric water heater at the electric panel if you will be away from home for more than one week.

 

Low Cost

1. Insulate the first two metres of the hot water pipe leading from your hot water heater with pipe insulation.
2. Install low-flow showerheads in your bathrooms.
3. Attach low-flow aerators to kitchen and bathroom faucets.
4. Repair leaking faucets.

 

Worth the Investment

1. Buy an electric kettle with an automatic shut off.
2. Install a hot water heater blanket if your hot water heater is in a non-insulated basement area. Check your warranty first to see if this is an acceptable option for your manufacturer.

 

No Cost

1. Turn off lights in rooms not being used.
2. Use task lighting - higher wattage lights for tasks such as reading and lower wattage for general lighting such as watching television.
3. Use natural light whenever possible.
4. Use lamp shades with white or light colored liners to reflect more light.

 

Low Cost

1. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents light bulbs.
2. Use compact fluorescent flood lights for outdoor safety and security lighting.
3. Use sensors or timers on your exterior lighting to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.

 

Worth the Investment

1. When installing or replacing recessed lighting fixtures, consider airtight fixtures that reduce or eliminate air leakage and loss of cooled or heated air.

 

When purchasing new appliances, always choose ENERGY STAR^® for the highest standard of energy efficiency and the lowest energy costs.

Refrigerators and Freezers

No Cost

1. Set the temperature inside your refrigerator to the mid-level setting, usually 4°C (39°F).
2. Use the energy saver switch on your refrigerator, if available.
3. Make sure your refrigerator and freezer door seal well.
4. Clean external coils behind and beneath the refrigerator regularly.
5. Keep your refrigerator and freezer full.
6. Ensure that refrigerators and freezers are placed away from heating sources; heat will cause the unit to work harder to maintain temperatures.
7. Make sure the inside vents are not blocked.
8. To help maintain the temperature within the refrigerator, cool hot food before putting it into the refrigerator.

 

Worth the Investment

1. Replace old refrigerators and freezers. A new ENERGY STAR^® refrigerator uses approximately 1/3 of the energy of a 1970’s model.
2. When purchasing a freezer, choose an ENERGY STAR^® chest freezer. They are 10-25% more efficient than upright models.

Laundry

No Cost

1. Wash in cold water whenever possible.
2. Load washers and dryers to capacity but don't overload.
3. Use water level controls to use less water for smaller loads.
4. Follow detergent instructions. Using too much soap causes the washing machine to work harder.
5. Hang laundry to dry whenever possible.
6. Clean your dryer lint trap after each load; this will help decrease drying time and reduce the risk of fire.
7. Use your automatic cycle and don’t over dry clothes.

 

Worth the Investment

1. Purchase an ENERGY STAR^® front loading washer. They use 40% less water and 50% less energy than top-loading models.

Cooking

No Cost

1. Thaw frozen foods before cooking or baking.
2. Cook as many dishes as possible at one time.
3. Minimize the number of times you open the door while cooking and use a clock or timer.
4. Preheat the oven only for items requiring precise starting temperatures.
5. Turn off electric surface units and oven a short time before food is done allowing retained heat to complete cooking.
6. Keep lids on your pots while cooking.
7. Use the smallest pot or pan and burner needed for the job.

 

Low Cost

1. Seek alternate cooking sources such as a pressure cooker, toaster oven or microwave oven. Smaller appliances generally use less energy.

 

Worth the Investment

1. When buying a new electric range, look for the most energy efficient model available.

Computers and Electronics

No Cost

1. Shut down computers at night and when not in use.
2. Use your computer’s built-in power saver features to automatically power down your monitor and computer when not in use.
3. If you do not have automatic power saver features, turn off the computer's monitor whenever you will be away for longer than 15 minutes.
4. Computers, fax machines, TVs, VCRs, CD players and cable boxes consume energy even when not in use because of their standby features. Unplug them when you go on vacation.

 

Worth the Investment

1. When purchasing a new computer, TV or electronic device, look for the ENERGY STAR^® label.

 

LED Lights

Switch your exterior and interior holiday lights to Light Emitting Diode (LED) holiday lights.

LEDs:

1. Use 90% less energy.
2. Last up to 10 times longer.
3. Are safer - bulbs remain cool regardless of how long they have been on.
4. Are more durable - bulbs are virtually indestructible.

 

More Holiday Energy Saving Ideas

1. Turn off electric fireplaces, tree lights and holiday decorations at night and when you are away from home.
2. Install timers on your exterior lighting displays.
3. Choose a pre-lit holiday tree with LED lighting rather than traditional mini-lights.
4. Consider a fiber optic holiday tree.