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Save Energy
Year Round |
Summer |
Winter
Two Fan
Challenge | Appliances
Electricity, oil or natural gas;
conservation is a great way to keep your lower your energy
bills! Here are some quick suggestions, but be sure
to look at our tips for
summer cooling and
winter heating for more ideas.
Level One:
the easy steps
Saving energy can be as simple as flicking a switch.
- Turn it off. Get in
the habit of turning lights and appliances off when you are
finished with them. We don't need to keep all the lights
on in the house when we are sitting in one room. Watch out for
appliances that are always sucking up electricity, even when
they are turned off (a "phantom load").
- Buy 10 compact fluorescent
lights. The average home has at least ten high use
lights that can easily be switched from the old incandescent
bulbs to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). What are you
waiting for?
Print off our pamphlet as
a guide to finding the right places in your home for at least
10 CFLs.
Level Two:
investing in conservation
Don't buy pigs.
- Buy energy efficient
appliances. Look for the Energuide
label on all appliances and make sure you are buying an
efficient model. See our
Appliances
page for a list of the energy consumption of major home
appliances
- Audit your home.
It's a simple step that will start you on the road to energy
savings and a more comfortable home. See our
winter heating page for
information.
Level Three:
a lifestyle commitment
Air conditioning adds up to
over 35% of the peak electricity demand on hot summer days.
Take our Two Fan
Challenge to keep your home cool without air conditioning.
Links and
Resources
Organizations
Government
- The Office
of Energy Efficiency in Natural Resources Canada has been
promoting conservation for years and has some excellent resource
material.
- The provincial Ministry
of Energy has a booklet on energy saving tips for the home
that can be downloaded, as well as information on the provincial
sales tax rebate for new Energy Star appliances
Utilities
- Hydro
One has some excellent resources, including an energy cost
calculator for home appliances
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