Save energy with these simple, practical tips. Many of these suggestions don’t require tools or out-of-pocket expense. Watch over time to see your energy efficiency increase and your savings grow.
When you go on vacation, take your energy conservation tips with you.
Remember to turn off the lights, radios and TVs when you leave your hotel room.
If your room has a coffeemaker with a timer or clock, unplug it after use. Phantom power still looms in hotel rooms.
Conserve the use of towels. Do you really need fresh towels every day? Instead leave the towels to be washed in the bath tub and hang the towels you wish to reuse on the rack and leave a note for housekeeping.
To conserve water and electricity, let your hotel know they don’t need to change your bed linen every day. Instead have housekeeping change bed linen every two days during your stay.
If you have control of the heat, turn it down when you leave the room. Why heat an empty room?
Just like home, raise the thermostat setting on the room air conditioner.
In the summer, to keep the heat out, close your blinds and curtains during the day. In the winter, keep the blinds and curtains open and let the sun heat and light your room naturally.
Take a quick shower instead of a bath. Did you know a typical occupied hotel room soaks up 218 gallons (825 liters) of water a day?
Make sure faucets and taps are not dripping. One constant drip can waste up to 181.7 litres of water a week or 364 half-litre-sized bottles of water. If it’s hot water that’s leaking, you’re literally sending energy dollars down the drain. Let the front desk know if you have dripping faucets or taps.
If you’re booking a meeting or convention, ask the hotel if it has environmental policy. And don’t forget to ask to see it. You might even be able to ask hotel management if there is one further energy conservation measure they could offer to secure your business. For instance, suggest that bed sheets can be changed every two days for your delegates.
Many hotels are committed to environmental measures that include energy conservation. Look for these “green” properties in your vacation choices.
Remember, everybody is a partner in energy conservation. Don’t forget your energy conservation manners when you’re on vacation.
To search for a green-rated hotel check out these sites.
Vacation Tips
Going to be Away? Give your home an energy break.
There are appliances and electronic equipment that continue to gobble up electricity, whether they're being used or not. Since your home is going to be unoccupied for awhile, why not take some steps to save on energy use and cost?
Vacation Checklist
For increased security, use timers on light fixtures inside and outside your home. Using timers is much less costly in the long run than leaving your lights on all day. Fluorescent lighting requires special dimmers or timers, so make sure you use the correct ones for your fluorescent fixtures.
Your refrigerator is an electricity hog. If you are going to be away for a long period of time, consider emptying and unplugging your refrigerator.
If you spend a long time away from home during the coldest months of the year, set your thermostat down. In the winter set it at 18°C and if you’re away in the summer set it at 28°C. A programmable thermostat is a great way to change settings automatically. There are programmable thermostats for central heating and baseboard heating.
If you have a pool, make sure it’s covered and that the timer on the pool pump is set.
Ghost bust those phantom loads. Phantom loads, sometimes referred as “standby power,” is electricity consumed by electronic devices even when turned off, such as TVs, phone chargers, DVDs, even coffeemakers with clocks and timers. Unplug your electronics when you’re away from home for an extended period of time.
Air Conditioners
For central or window air conditioning, consider the newer ENERGY STARŪ qualified models, which are up to 70% more efficient than older models.
Install a programmable thermostat. A properly set programmable thermostat can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 10%. In the summer set your central air conditioner for 25°C when you are home and 28°C when you are away. In the winter set your thermostat at 20°C when you are home and 18°C when sleeping or away.
Set the thermostat at 25°C or higher. For every degree your air conditioner is set below 24°C, you will use 3 to 5 % more energy.
Turn your air conditioner up whenever possible to help reduce the strain on the electricity system during peak demand periods (noon to 8pm)
During the day, draw your blinds to block the warming effect of direct sunlight.
Using a ceiling or tabletop fan to circulate cooled air means you can set your thermostat higher and it will still leave your home feeling cool and comfortable.
Use fans as a cool alternative to air conditioning. Ceiling fan blades should rotate to move the air downward in the summer to help produce a cooling breeze. In the winter, air should be moved upwards towards the ceiling to disperse the warm air that tends to accumulate there and distribute more evenly in the room.
Shade central air conditioning outdoor units with trees or shrubs to use up to 10% less electricity. Make sure you don't block air flow around the unit.
Choose a north-facing or shaded window for your window air conditioner to save electricity.
Close your heating duct dampers so that more cooled air will circulate up through the house.
Close your fireplace damper tightly to keep cooled air from leaking out.
Clean or replace your air conditioning filter monthly. Dirty filters can restrict air flow and reduce your system's efficiency.
Service your central air system annually.
Set the fan switch on "automatic" instead of "on" or "continuous" to save electricity.
Check your outside air conditioning unit for clogs. Air should flow freely around and through the vent(s).
Dryers
Wring out or spin dry clothes as much as possible before drying.
Sort clothes into heavy, medium and lightweight loads since the lighter loads will dry more quickly than mixed loads.
To avoid wasting heat, dry loads one right after another.
After every load, be sure to clean the lint filter since a clogged one could use up to 30% more electricity.
Using a clothesline to dry items instead of a dryer will greatly reduce your electricity costs - and will make your clothes smell great.
When purchasing a dryer, look for a model with an energy-wise electronic moisture or temperature sensor that shuts the dryer off when it senses that the clothes are dry.
An ENERGY STAR qualified dryer is at least 25% more efficient.
Whenever possible to help reduce the strain on the electricity system, use your dyer after 8 p.m., when electricity usage is not at its peak.
Dishwashers
Choose the energy-saver cycle. That will give you the option of turning off the heating element to let dishes air dry - a big energy saver!
Run the dishwasher only when it's full.
There is no need to pre-rinse your dishes in the sink before placing them in the dishwasher.
Use the air-dry setting or open the door to dry the dishes to save energy.
Help the dishwasher work efficiently by regularly cleaning drains and filters.
Since 85% of a dishwasher's electricity is used to heat the water, look for a short-cycle or econowash feature.
Whenever possible to help reduce the strain on the electricity system, use your dishwasher after 8 p.m., when electricity usage is not at its peak.
Freezers
Defrost and clean your freezer annually or when the ice build up on the insides of the unit is more than 1/4 inch.
Regularly vacuum up the dust on the back and underneath your freezer.
Keep a space of at least five centimeters all around your freezer so heat will be able to move away from the compressor and condensing coil.
The ideal temperature for your freezer is -18°C. It will use almost 2 % more electricity for each degree below -18°C.
Chest freezers are more energy efficient than their upright counterparts.
Hot Water Heaters
After home heating, water heaters use the most energy in the home. Take advantage of the small things you can do to maximize your savings.
To save hot water, take a shower instead of a bath. A typical bath will use about 75 litres of hot water. On the other hand, a shower with an efficient showerhead will use about half of that.
Fix any leaky faucets. One constant drip can waste up to 181.7 litres of water a week or 364 half-litre-sized bottles of water. If it's a hot water faucet that's leaking, you're literally sending your energy dollars down the drain.
To save water and energy, install aerators on your kitchen faucets.
Wrap your electric water heater with a blanket made for that purpose to help reduce heat loss.
Insulate your hot water pipes.
Ovens
Use the oven window to check foods as they cook. Opening the door releases at least 20% of the heat.
Instead of using your oven to reheat food, use a toaster or microwave oven to save energy.
It's not necessary to preheat your oven unless you're baking bread or pastry.
Use the self-cleaning option when you finish cooking and while the oven is still hot.
Consider a better insulated, self-cleaning oven, which can be up to 25% more efficient.
Refrigerators
Refrigerators are one of the biggest electricity users in the home, so it pays to consider an ENERGY STAR qualified model.
Look for a model that has an energy saver switch.
To keep refrigerators working well, defrost regularly.
Get rid of that old, inefficient fridge in the basement you are using, but don't pass it along to a friend. Instead consider having it picked up for disposal with The Great Refrigerator Roundup. You could see electricity savings of about $120-$150 a year.
Every three months, dust or vacuum your refrigerator's coils and air intake grill.
Keep a space of at least five centimetres all around your refrigerator so heat will be able to move away from the compressor and condensing coil.
Close your refrigerator door on a five dollar bill or piece of paper. If you can pull it our easily, you may need to replace the door gasket. Tight sealing gaskets keep cold air in and lower energy costs.
Allow hot foods to cool before putting them in the refrigerator.
Stovetops
Choose pots that match the size of the element.
Avoid using bent or deformed pots and pans because they use more energy to get to the desired temperature.
When cooking, use lids that fit snugly and keep them on while you cook to achieve an energy savings of up 20%.
Save energy by boiling water with an electric kettle. Only boil what you need.
Check the kitchen range filter and change when they get dirty. A dirty filter will slow down airflow and make appliances work harder.
Washing Machines
Wash and rinse clothes in cold water - 85 to 90 % of the energy for washing is to heat the water.
Do laundry only when you have a full load.
Consider an ENERGY STAR qualified washing machine because it will use 35 to 50 % less water and 50% less energy per load than the average conventional washing machine.
Consider a compact model if your usual laundry loads are small.
Whenever possible to help reduce the strain on the electricity system, use your washing machine after 8 p.m., when electricity usage is not at its peak.
Small Appliances
Microwave Ovens
Use your microwave or toaster oven to cook or warm small portions of food instead of using the oven, especially during the summer.
Electric Kettles
Your electric kettle is the most energy-efficient method for heating water.
Make sure your kettle has an auto shut-off and an insulated handle.
To keep it operating efficiently, regularly rid your kettle of mineral build-up.
Lighting - General Tips
GENERAL LIGHTING
If a room or area is not being used, shut off the lights.
Install automatic, occupancy sensor room-lighting controls to turn lights on or off, depending on occupancy or time of day.
Use task lighting instead of overhead lighting. The right lighting for the task could result in a 15% savings.
Use natural sunlight in place of electric lighting as much as possible.
Position lamps to make the most of their light. For instance, you won't need to light up the whole room if you have a lamp by your reading chair or at your desk.
In overly lit under-used areas, reduce the lighting. Reduce number of fixtures or wattage of bulbs.
Replace your high-use incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs. They use up to 75 % less electricity and last up to 10 times longer.
Make sure that bulbs, fixtures, lenses, lamps and reflective surfaces are cleaned regularly. By removing grease, dust and other dirt, you can increase the output of your lights.
If you do use incandescent lights, use low-wattage light bulbs when you need only a small amount of light.
Control your lighting with dimmers or timers. Dimmers save energy by allowing you to reduce the amount of energy needed. Using timers is much less costly in the long run than leaving your lights on all day. If you want the added protection of leaving lights on when nobody is at home, consider lighting timers. These turn the lights on and off automatically at pre-set times. Fluorescent lighting requires special dimmers or timers, so only use in fluorescent fixtures that are approved for such use.
Change out incandescent or fluorescent exit signs with LED exit signs. Turn off any signage and systems not necessary for operations, security or safety.
Upgrade fluorescent fixtures with the newer T8 (T8 tubes are 1 inch in diameter) fluorescent tube fixture that uses a electronic ballast, and has many advantages over the T12 fixture and magnetic ballasts. They use 35% less electricity; maintain their light level much better (only 8% lifetime light reduction instead of 40%; are quieter. The electronic ballast does not 'hum' like a magnetic ballast; light up much more quickly. The ballast does not have to warm up like a magnetic ballast.
DECORATIVE LIGHTING
Replacing your old holiday incandescent lights with LED lights can bring holiday cheer to your electricity bill. They use up to 90 % less electricity. Look for ENERGY STAR qualified light strings.
Heating - General Tips
Install a programmable thermostat. A properly set programmable thermostat can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 10%. In the summer set your central air conditioner for 25°C when you are home and 28°C when you are away. In the winter set your thermostat at 20°C when you are home and 18°C when sleeping or away.
In the winter open drapes on sunny days to let the warming rays in. At night, close your drapes and blinds to keep the heat in.
Use weather-stripping and door sweeps to seal doors and reduce drafts. Comprehensive draft proofing can reduce your heating bill by 20 %. Apply caulking and weatherstripping around drafty doors and windows to keep the cold out. No drafts mean a more comfortable home.
Maintain your heating and central air conditioning year round. A properly running furnace and air conditioner will save energy.
Install the thermostat in the room you spend the most time in.
Installing and setting a programmable thermostat in each room for electric baseboard heaters puts you in control and can produce significant electricity savings.
Close off air registers in any unused areas or rooms.
Clean or replace furnace filters monthly.
Keep warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators clean and make sure they're not blocked.
If you have hot-water radiators, bleed trapped air from them once or twice a season.
When purchasing new heating equipment, select the most energy-efficient models possible. Check out the rebates available through the Cool Savings Rebate Program
All homes can become more energy efficient. You can save money and be more comfortable. However, many people don't know where to start. A comprehensive home energy evaluation is an excellent way to get an action plan for saving energy and money.
Fireplaces
Avoid having your furnace thermostat in a room with a fireplace.
Plug and seal the chimney flue if you never use your fireplace.
Unless you have a fire going, be sure to keep your fireplace damper closed so the warm air won't escape up the chimney.
Consider installing tempered glass fireplace doors and a heat-air exchange system so warmed air could be blown back into the room.
Make sure the seal on the flue damper is as snug as possible.
Home Cooling
Install a programmable thermostat. A properly set programmable thermostat can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 10 %. In the summer set your central air conditioner (CAC) for 25°C when you are home and 28°C when you are away. In the winter set your thermostat at 20°C when you are home and 18°C when sleeping or away.
Shade south- and west-facing windows with awnings, solar screens, reflective window film or leaf bearing trees.
Use fans as a cool alternative to air conditioners. Install ceiling fans to help rooms feel cooler, instead of using an air conditioner. In the summer the blades should rotate to move the air down to help produce a cooling breeze. In the winter, air should be moved upwards towards the ceiling to disperse the warm air that tends to accumulate there and distribute more evenly in the room.
Replace your older model room air conditioner with an ENERGY STAR qualified model and save at least 10% on your cooling bill.
Dehumidifiers
To reduce the condensation on your foundation walls and floors, you may need to run an energy efficient dehumidifier and an exhaust fan in your basement to lessen the humidity that could travel through your whole home. On a hot, muggy day this is a must. Home humidifiers can collect as much as 50 litres of water a day! Just set the humidity level and the unit will start and shut off automatically. If you have an older dehumidifier or are looking to purchase a new one, consider an ENERGY STAR qualified model for even more savings. High-capacity dehumidifiers (i.e., that have a water removal capacity greater than 35.5 to 87.5 litres per day) must have an energy factor of 2.50 or higher. Normally, the higher the capacity of the dehumidifier, the more energy efficient it is.
Home Office Lighting
If a room or area is not being used, shut off the lights.
Install automatic, occupancy sensor room-lighting controls to turn lights on or off, depending on occupancy or time of day.
Use task lighting instead of overhead lighting. The right lighting for the task could result in a 15% savings.
Use natural sunlight in place of electric lighting as much as possible.
Position lamps to make the most of their light. For instance, you won't need to light up the whole room if you have a lamp by your reading chair or at your desk.
In overly lit under-used areas, reduce the lighting. Reduce number of fixtures or wattage of bulbs.
Replace your high-use incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs. They use up to 75 % less electricity and last up to 10 times longer.
Make sure that bulbs, fixtures, lenses, lamps and reflective surfaces are cleaned regularly. By removing grease, dust and other dirt, you can increase the output of your lights.
If you do use incandescent lights, use low-wattage light bulbs when you need only a small amount of light.
Control your lighting with dimmers or timers. Dimmers save energy by allowing you to reduce the amount of energy needed. Using timers is much less costly in the long run than leaving your lights on all day. If you want the added protection of leaving lights on when nobody is at home, consider lighting timers. These turn the lights on and off automatically at pre-set times. Fluorescent lighting requires special dimmers or timers, so only use in fluorescent fixtures that are approved for such use.
Change out incandescent or fluorescent exit signs with LED exit signs. Turn off any signage and systems not necessary for operations, security or safety.
Upgrade fluorescent fixtures with the newer T8 (T8 tubes are 1 inch in diameter) fluorescent tube fixture that uses a electronic ballast, and has many advantages over the T12 fixture and magnetic ballasts. They use 35% less electricity, maintain their light level much better (only 8% lifetime light reduction instead of 40%), and light up more quickly because the balast does not have to warm up like a magnetic ballast. As well, the electronic ballast does not 'hum' like a magnetic ballast - it is much quieter.
Computers and Office Equipment
Ensure all equipment (monitor, printer, speakers etc.,) are shut off at the end the day.
Ghost bust those phantom loads. Sometimes referred to as "standby power", phantom load is electricity consumed by electronic devices even when turned off, such as a TVs, phone chargers, DVDs, VCRs, even coffeemakers with clocks and timers. Use a power bar with an integrated timer to shut off all your devices at the end of the day, or unplug your electronics when you're away from home for an extended period of time.
Turn off your computers and any other office equipment when you're not using them, especially overnight and weekends. This practice costs nothing and can deliver significant energy and money savings.
When the time comes to replace any of your electronic equipment, take the time to explore the savings that an ENERGY STAR model would deliver. In fact, ENERGY STAR rated electronics are 15 to 40% more efficient than older models, which would bring you savings for years to come. Choose settings that automatically switch the computer monitor into sleep or "power-down" mode when it hasn't been used for a preset amount of time. Shorten the delay time before your monitor automatically goes into sleep mode.
At the office check with your Information Technology staff to see what can be done.
Choose a flat-panel LCD computer monitor rather than a regular cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor. Flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors use less electricity than comparably sized CRT models. Remember, the bigger the monitor, the more energy it uses.
Consider a laptop computer over a desktop PC because it uses less energy.
Make sure any computer you purchase has an automatic power-down function that will automatically switch the monitor into sleep mode (preferably a deep sleep mode) after a preset period of inactivity. (A feature mandatory to bear the ENERGY STAR symbol)
Make sure your entertainment systems are on a powerbar that can be turned off when not in use (applies to components without memories and clocks and timers).
Be sure to unplug the TVs you use infrequently because they continue to draw power even when you've turned them off.
Print only what is necessary
Ink-jet printers use 90% less energy than laser printers
Choose the proper-sized copier for your business needs.
A screen-saver doesn't save energy.
Window Shopping Tips
Look for windows that carry the ENERGY STAR label. This tells you that the windows are performance certified.
Install quality doors, storm doors and windows.
The lower the U-value, the better the insulation. If you live in a colder climate, a U-value of 0.35 or below is recommended.
Look for windows with an air leakage rating of 0.3 cubic feet per minute or less.
If you have heating and cooling requirements, choose windows with low U-values and low solar heat gain co-efficiency (SHGC) to maximize your energy benefits.
Winter Window Tips
Install exterior or interior storm windows to reduce heat loss by 25 to 50%. Make sure your storm windows have weatherstripping at all of the moveable joints. To save even more energy, consider low-e storm windows.
Be sure to weatherize your storm windows and keep them in good repair.
By reducing the air leaks in your home, you'll realize a savings of at least 10% on your electricity bill.
If you feel a draft on weatherized windows, install tight-fitting window shades.
Open your curtains and shades during the day and close them at night.
Summer Window Tips
Use white window shades, drapes or blinds to help reflect heat away from the house.
Keep curtains on south- and west-facing windows closed during the day.
Shade south- and west-facing windows with awnings, solar screens, reflective window film or leaf bearing trees.
