Energy Saving Tips
There's something for everyone, homeowners and renters - rebates, incentives, subsidies and low-interest financing to make your home more energy-efficient.
Appliances + Electronics
The temperature of the oven can drop by as many as 25 degrees each time you open the oven door.
Appliances + Electronics
When you put something hot into the fridge, the appliance has to work harder to cool it down. Let your food cool down on the counter first. Never leave food out at room temperature for more than two hours and only one hour on a hot day.
Appliances + Electronics
If you avoid using the oven in summer, you will reduce the heat in your home and save on your home cooling costs.
Appliances + Electronics
Keep your fridge and freezer at their ideal temperature. For your fridge this is between 2°C and 3°C and your freezer should be at -18°C.
Appliances + Electronics
Your machine will have a setting for heated drying, turn it off and allow your dishes to dry on their own.
Appliances + Electronics
Cooking with a microwave, slow cooker or toaster oven instead of a conventional oven can save from 30% to as much as 80% in energy. To save even more, make sure your smaller appliances are ENERGY STAR®.
Appliances + Electronics
Cover your pots and pans when you’re boiling water or cooking food. This will help prevent the release of heat, allowing the pan to boil faster and use less energy in the process.
Appliances + Electronics
Turn off oven burners a few minutes before you finish cooking. The heat that is stored in the pan and other cooking equipment will allow your food to still cook, but you’ll save energy in the process.
Appliances + Electronics
A dry towel added to your dryer load can significantly reduce drying times. If you're doing seven loads a week this could save you $27 a year.
Appliances + Electronics
Your washer uses the same amount of energy no matter the size of the load, so fill it up.
Appliances + Electronics
Don’t forget the tubing! Use the long nozzle on your vacuum periodically to clean out particles that get beyond the filter.
Appliances + Electronics
A phantom load is the energy that a plugged-in appliance or electronic device uses when it is not turned on. The average Canadian home wastes $150 or more a year on electronic devices that are plugged in but turned off.
Eliminate your phantom loads by unplugging appliances and electronics when you are not using them, or by plugging them into a power bar, and turning the power bar off when they are not in use.
Appliances + Electronics
Set your computer to sleep or hibernate mode instead of using a screen saver. Many computers and monitors sit idle for hours, wasting energy and driving up your electric bills. You can save about $40 a year just by enabling the power management settings so the computer goes to “sleep” after a certain number of idle minutes.
Appliances + Electronics
Many chargers draw power continuously, even when the device is not plugged into the charger.
Heating + Cooling
Heating water is the second-largest energy user in your home. Since most water heaters will reheat the water to the set temperature in about an hour, turn it off while your away to save energy.
Heating + Cooling
Having people over for a holiday dinner, or doing a lot of cooking in the winter? Turn down the furnace 3 degrees, and keep the oven door open when you're done.
Heating + Cooling
Programmable or smart thermostats automatically adjust your home’s temperature to your schedule, keeping it comfortable only when you need it to be. If you don’t already adjust your thermostat throughout the day, a programmable thermostat could save you as much as 15 per cent on heating and cooling costs. If you have an electrically heated home, lower your thermostat by two degrees to save 5% on your heating bill. Lowering it five degrees could save 10%.
Heating + Cooling
Your ceiling fan should be spinning in reverse during summer. This improves airflow by pulling the cooler air upward and circulating that cool breeze throughout your space.
Lighting
A single south-facing window can illuminate 20 to 100 times its area. Turning off one 60-watt bulb for four hours a day is a $9 saving over a year.
Lighting
Turn off ceiling lights and use table lamps, track lighting and under-counter lights in work and hobby areas as well as in kitchens.
Water Conservation
Heating water is the second-largest energy user in your home and heating it is expensive. If two people in your home cut their shower time by a minute each, you could save more than $30 a year. Set a timer while you shower.
Water Conservation
Heating water is the second-largest energy user in your home and heating it is expensive. If two people in your home cut their shower time by a minute each, you could save more than $30 a year. Set a timer while you shower.
Water Conservation
Heating water is the second-largest energy user in your home and heating it is expensive. If two people in your home cut their shower time by a minute each, you could save more than $30 a year. Set a timer while you shower.
Water Conservation
A small, more common toilet leak can waste up to 547 litres per day, equaling 200,000 litres a year. This can add up to an extra $90 on every two month water bill.
