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TOP 10 TIPS FOR ENERGY REDUCTION
Reducing your energy consumption helps both the environment and your
pocketbook. The creation and transportation of energy has negative impacts
on the environment. The Canadian per capita energy use is nearly 1.5 times
higher than the average for the G8 countries. Worldwide, Canada is ranked
as one of the top ten highest per capita energy consumers. I thought Canada was the highest or second highest per capita energy user. Here are some target
areas to help combat energy consumption.
- Draft Proof Your Residence
Seal and insulate any cracks or gaps. Heating and cooling the house accounts
for a large percentage of Ontarians’ energy consumption. Make sure outside walls
are properly sealed and insulated.
- Kill the Power Suckers
Many electronics are built with a standby mode or sleep mode.
The average house wastes 15% - 20% on idling electronic devices.
Hook your computer and entertainment system up to power bars and turn them off when not in use
to eliminate phantom loads.
- Light Brightly
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFB).
CFB’s use less than one third the power and have a much longer life expectancy.
Make sure to turn the lights off when you leave a room. In fixtures that hold
more than one bulb, try unscrewing some of the bulbs to see if they are really
needed.
- Control the Temperature
In the winter set your thermostat to 21ºC (72ºF) or lower. Install
a programmable thermostat to automatically turn down the temperature when you
are sleeping or out of the house. In the summer, if you use an air conditioner,
set it to 76ºF or higher. (72 is ridiculous – we have ours at 66 or 67 at
the most. It should be 18 ºC or 68 ºF. If you are going to use numbers,
you can say turn down the thermostat instead of saying a number.)
- Wash Full Loads
Only run your washing machine or dishwasher when you have full loads. Let dishes air dry, and select the correct
setting for washing (are you washing pots and pans?). Invest or make an indoor drying rack or use a clothesline to dry
your laundry.
- Water Heater
Insulating your water heater with a fibreglass insulation blanket will reduce
heat loss by up to 45%. Wrap your pipes with at least one metre (3 feet) pipe
insulation for increased savings. Wrapping your pipes will reduce heat loss
and could raise water temperature up to 2º Celsius (4º F) higher
than uninsulated pipes. Turn down the thermostat on your water heater to 49º Celsius
(120º F). Install a low flow shower head and wash your clothes in cold
water to also reduce your draw on the water heater. Consider installing an
on demand gas water heater.
- Energy Efficient Appliances
The past 15 years have seen many advancements improving energy use by major
appliances. For example, a standard fridge in 1990 would use 947 Kwh/yr compared
to an energy efficient fridge of 2005 that uses 408 Kwh/yr. When purchasing
a new appliance, look for the Energy Star rating. ( This stat is 4 years out
of date.)
- Air Movement
Ceiling fans are an excellent way to reduce your household heating and cooling
costs. During the summer months, make sure the fan is set to forward (counter-clockwise)
to blow the cool air down. For the winter months, reverse the fan (clockwise)
at a low speed to circulate the warm air down. Ceiling fan use can save money
on your heating / cooling bills. During the winter months, heating costs
can be lowered by up to 10%. During the summer months, air conditioning costs
can be lowered by 40%. Make sure to turn off exhaust fans when not needed
and ceiling fans in the summer when you leave the room.
- Arrange Power Use
Most appliances in your residence use a motor. Starting an appliance generally
uses over twice the energy as opposed to running the appliance at normal
operation. Plan your appliance usage around multiple jobs. Try to manage
all your your baking for the week in one day. By batching your jobs to
minimize start-ups or power-ups energy use will be reduced and will lengthen
the life of your appliance.
Also choose the appliance that is most efficient for the task. Microwave ovens
are more energy efficient than electric ovens or range tops. Gas appliances are
generally more energy efficient than electric ones.
- Audit and Plan
The best way for each individual to reduce their energy use is by examining personal
use. There are several tools and references available to help monitor usage.
After examining your energy use, set up a plan to target your higher waste
areas. Start with no to low cost fixes first then use your savings from your
gas and electric bills to upgrade your residence.
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