TIPS FOR SAVING ENERGY AT HOME

Download a guide of energy saving tips from Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency.

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Insulation Tips
Consider factors such as your climate, building design, and budget when selecting insulation R-value for your home.

• Use higher density insulation, such as rigid foam boards, in cathedral ceilings and on exterior walls.
• Ventilation plays a large role in providing moisture control. Attic vents can be installed along the entire ceiling cavity to help ensure proper airflow from the soffit to the attic, helping to make a home more comfortable and energy efficient.
• Recessed light fixtures can be a major source of heat loss, but you need to be careful how close you place insulation next to a fixture unless it is marked "I.C." - designed for direct insulation contact. Check your local building codes for recommendations.
  

Heating and Cooling Tips

• Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer.
• When adjusting the thermostat by hand, remember that the house will not warm up or cool down any faster if you crank up the thermostat past the desired temperature. It's easy to forget to turn it back down, wasting energy dollars.
• Be a fan of fans - operating an air conditioner can cost up to 25 times as much as an oscillating, box, or window fan. The fan will not change the air temperature, but you will feel cooler because of the air movement. Make sure you turn the fan off when you're not in the room.
• Install foam gaskets behind electric outlet and switch plate covers.
• Aluminum tape wrapped around joints in heating and cooling ducts can help reduce costly air leakage.
• Do not install the room thermostat of your central heating on a cold outer wall, next to a window, in a draughty place, or next to a heat source.
• Adjust or replace weather stripping, door sweeps, and thresholds as necessary. Make sure that they haven't warped, cracked, or broken and that they're still blocking the space between the window or door and the frame.
• 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.
• Close chimney dampers. Warm air rises up and out open chimneys at an alarming rate. Close your damper as soon as you're certain the fire is completely out.
• Air leaks are common at the joint between the chimney and the wall. To seal them, remove the trim (if necessary) and apply heat-resistant caulking.
• Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed. Your forced-air furnace may use an electrostatic filter, which is a metal-mesh filter in a metal frame. If so, you need to clean this monthly during the heating season, following the manufacturer's instructions. If your filter is in a cardboard frame, it needs to be replaced monthly during the heating season. If your system doubles as a central air conditioning system, also clean or replace the filter monthly while the cooling system is in use.
• 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.
• Place heat resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
• 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.
• During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south facing windows open during the day to allow sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows. During the cooling season, keep the window coverings closed during the day to prevent solar gain.
• Close an unoccupied room that is isolated from the rest of the house and turn down the thermostat or turn off the heating for that room or zone. However, do not turn the heating off if it adversely affects the rest of your system.
• If your home has a crawl space, inspect it regularly to ensure that the insulation inside is dry. When insulation gets wet, its optimal effectiveness is significantly reduced. Be sure to find the source of the moisture and replace any damaged insulation.
  

Water Heating Tips

• Repair leaky faucets promptly. A leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period.
• Insulate your electric hot water storage tank and pipes, but be careful not to cover the thermostat. Wrap your hot water tank in an insulating blanket if it feels warm to the touch.
• Install aerating low-flow faucets and showerheads.
• 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.
• Buy a new energy efficient water heater. While it may cost more initially than a standard water heater, the energy savings will continue during the lifetime of the appliance.
• Although most water heaters last 10-15 years, it's best to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Doing some research before your water heater fails will enable you to select one that most appropriately meets your needs.
• Going on vacation? Why heat water you aren't home to use? Turn the water heater's thermostat down to the lowest possible setting when you are gone for an extended period of time.
• Drain a quart of water from your water tank every 3 months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your heater. The type of water tank you have determines the steps to take, so follow the manufacturer's advice.
• Take more showers than baths. Bathing uses the most hot water in the average household. You use 15-25 gallons of hot water for a bath, but less than 10 gallons during a 5-minute shower.
• Consider the installation of a drain water waste heat recovery system.
  

Cold Climate Window Tips

• Install triple pane windows with low-e coating on the glass. They reflect heat back into the room during the winter months.
• Find and plug leaks. Just wet your fingertips and run them around the door or window frame to feel a draft - or hold up a tissue and see if it waves. Seal leaks between moving parts (between door and its frame) with weather-stripping. Fill leaks between non-moving parts (between window frame and wall) with caulking.
• Plastic film on the inside of windows is one of the oldest energy saving techniques because it's one the techniques that works the best. If you read the instructions carefully and install the film properly they can be almost as effective as another pane of glass. If possible, use a hair-dryer in the application process, the film will resist wrinkling and not impact your view.
• Install exterior or interior storm windows. Storm windows can reduce your heat loss through the windows by 25-50%. 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 draughty after weatherizing.
• Keep windows on the south side of your house clean to maximize solar gain.
  

Indoor Lighting Tips
Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same lighting.

• Turn off the lights in any room you're not using, or consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.
• Use task lighting. Instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. For example, use fluorescent under cabinet lighting for kitchen sinks and countertops.
• Lamps placed where their light can reflect off at least two walls, such as in a corner, provide the most light for your money.
• Consider three-way lamps. They make it easier to keep lighting levels low when brighter light is not necessary.
• Do you really want extended life bulbs? Although they last longer, they put out up to 30% less light while consuming the same energy level.
• 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.
• When shopping for new light fixtures, consider buying dedicated compact fluorescent fixtures with built-in ballasts that use pin based replacement bulbs.
  
• Take advantage of daylight by using light-coloured loose weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.
  Outdoor Lighting Tips
  
• Use outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a timer so they will turn off during the day.
  
• Exterior lighting is one of the best places to use CFLs because of their long life. If you live in a cold climate, be sure to buy a lamp with a cold weather ballast.
• Incandescent holiday lights use five to seven watts per bulb.  LED (Light Emitting Diodes) use less than half a watt per bulb.  They are also shatter proof, water resistent and safe to touch.

  Click here to see example of energy cost savings in Yellowknife

Dishwasher Tips

• Check the manual that came with your dishwasher for the manufacturer's recommendations on water temperature. Many have internal heating elements that allow you to set the water heater to a lower temperature.
  
• Scrape, don't rinse, large food pieces and bones from dishes. Soaking or pre-washing is generally only recommended in cases of burned on or dried on food.
  
• Be sure your dishwasher is full, but not overloaded.
  
• Try not to locate your dishwasher next to the refrigerator. The heat produced by the dishwasher will cause your refrigerator to work harder.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.

Refrigerator/Freezer Energy Tips

• 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.
  
• Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 1° to 3°C for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and -18°C 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.
  
• Keep your fridge and freezer full. Surprisingly, it takes less energy to cool a full refrigerator or freezer than an empty one, provided it is not so jammed that air can't circulate. Fill extra space with gallon jugs of water placed in the back of both the freezer and refrigerator. You can drink the water and use the ice in portable coolers.
  
• Open the refrigerator door less. Every time the door opens, warm air rushes in. Energy must be used to cool it back down. If you're cooking, get all the refrigerated items you need for the recipe at the same time. And when you're finished with them, put them back in the refrigerator at the same time.
  
• Food safety requires prompt cooling of most hot foods. Cool foods quickly in a cold water bath, or place small items directly into the refrigerator.
  
• Always cover everything. Humidity escapes from uncovered foods and liquids. The compressor must work harder to remove the excess humidity.
  
• The single most effective way to reduce refrigerator energy costs is to remove or unplug unnecessary refrigerators or freezers. Running a second refrigerator or freezer, particularly an older model, only makes sense when the additional cold storage is needed. Consolidate your fresh and frozen foods into one appliance and you'll see the savings.
  
• Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers. Frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running. Don't allow frost to build up more than one quarter of an inch.
  
• Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a piece of paper or a ten dollar bill so it is half in and half out of the refrigerator. If you can pull the paper or bill out easily, the latch may need adjustment or the seal may need replacing.
  
• Move your refrigerator out from the wall and vacuum its condenser coils once a year unless you have a "no clean" condenser model. Your refrigerator will run for shorter periods with clean coils.
  

Other Energy Saving Kitchen Tips

• Be sure to place the faucet lever on the kitchen sink in the cold position when using small amounts of water. Placing the lever in the hot position uses energy to heat the water even though it never reaches the faucet.
  
• When purchasing a gas oven or range, look for one with an automatic, electric ignition system. An electric ignition saves gas because a pilot light is not burning continuously.
  
• In gas appliances, look for blue flames. Yellow flames indicate the gas is burning inefficiently and an adjustment may be needed. Consult your manufacturer or your local utility.
  
• Bake in glass or ceramic cookware. You can turn the temperature down by 25° F and foods will cook in the same time.
• Keep stove top burners and reflectors clean. They will reflect the heat better, saving you energy and money.
  
• Match the size of the pan to the heating element.
  
• If you cook with electricity, turn the stove top burners off several minutes before the allotted cooking time. The heating element will stay hot long enough to finish the cooking without using more electricity. The same principle applies to oven cooking.
  
• Use microwaves, small electric pans, or toaster ovens for small meals rather than your large stove or oven. A toaster oven uses a third to half as much energy as a full-sized oven.
  
• Use the light inside your oven when cooking. Opening the door often reduces the temperature by 25 degrees and makes your oven work harder to keep the desired temperature.
  
• A watched pot will eventually boil, but putting a lid on it reduces cooking time and energy use.
  
• Use pressure cookers and microwave ovens whenever it is convenient to do so. They can save energy by significantly reducing cooking time.
  
• Shopping for a major appliance before it breaks down gives you the best chance to find a higher efficiency model with the features you want. The typical refrigerator sold in 2002 has more features yet uses less than half the electricity of a comparable model sold in 1980. Choose appliances with the ENERGY STAR to ensure greatest efficiency and/or compare EnerGuide labels to determine how much energy each appliance you are considering will use.
  
• Use the kitchen exhaust fan when cooking. This fan draws the steam and moisture that are created when you cook out of your home. This is important because if the extra moisture isn't removed, it stays in your home and your furnace will have to work harder because it takes more energy to heat moist air than dry air.
  

Laundry Tips

• Wash your clothes in cold water, using cold water detergents whenever possible.
  
• Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water level setting.
  
• Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter weight clothes.
  
• Don't over dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.
  
• Use the cool down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
  
• Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
  
• Periodically inspect your exterior dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire.