Energy Savings Tips to Help you $ave
Everyone likes to save money, especially when you can reduce your energy use and help the environment at the same time.
Remember, just a few simple changes can make a big difference.
It starts with me!
- Clothes Washing & Drying
- Cooking
- Dishwashing
- Driving
- Electronics
- Heating
- Lighting
- Refrigeration
- Water Heating
- Wood Heating
For more consumer tips, visit Efficiency Nova Scotia at www.efficiencyns.ca.
Clothes Washing & Drying
Clean your clothes without cleaning out your bank account.
- Always use cold water for the rinse cycle. Using warm or hot water does not get your clothes any cleaner.
- If you're shopping for a new clothes washer, invest in a front-loading model. They cost more than conventional top-loading machines, but use roughly half the water per load. Plus, they are better at squeezing water out of the clothes - which lowers the electricity costs of drying them. Also, clothes washed in front-loading washers last longer because they are gently tumbled rather than twisted around the agitator.
- An ENERGY STAR®-qualified washer uses 35-50 per cent less water and 60 per cent less energy per load than most conventional washers.
- Run full loads whenever possible but don't overload the machine.
- Wash your clothes in cold or warm water. A whopping 85-90 per cent of the energy used by washing machines is for heating the water.
- Make sure your clothes are as dry as possible before putting them in the dryer. Hang them until they are just damp or ensure your washer removes as much water as possible.
- Separate loads into heavy, medium, and light items. Lighter loads will take less drying time than a mixture of items.
- Clean the lint filter after every load. A clogged lint filter can increase energy use up to 30 per cent and may be a fire hazard.
- Use a clothesline to dry your laundry - it's the most energy efficient option of all. It's free!
Cooking
Your kitchen stove can use a lot of energy. Here are some money-saving ingredients.
- Put lids on pots when using the stove. This will keep the heat in the pot and allow you to cook things more quickly at lower heat settings.
- Match the size of the appliance to the size of the cooking job. For small jobs, use the electric kettle, toaster oven, or microwave.
- Use an electric kettle to boil water - it is faster and more energy efficient than the stove.
- Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator before cooking, unless the label says otherwise.
- Use the right pot for the job, and match it to the right size element.
- If you put aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven to catch drippings, make sure the foil does not block any of the oven's circulation holes. Don't put foil on the oven racks.
Dishwashing
Washing dishes needn't put your budget in hot water.
- Operate dishwashers with a full load and use the energy-saving cycle.
- If you're planning to buy a new dishwasher, invest in an ENERGY STAR®-qualified model, which is at least 25 per cent more efficient than older models.
- Don't waste hot water by pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Just scrape off food, empty liquids, and load 'em up.
- Air dry your dishes. It can save 10 per cent on the cost of operating your machine.
- Load dishes according to the manufacturer's instructions. This will allow proper water circulation and cleaning.
- Check and clean drains and filters regularly to ensure efficient operation.
- Using dishwashers can actually be more efficient than washing dishes by hand. That's because you typically use the dishwasher once for every three to four times you would hand wash dishes.
Driving
Fill up on these simple fuel-saving tips to make driving more affordable.
- Slow down for savings. Driving 120 km per hour burns 20 per cent more fuel than driving 100 km per hour. Rapid stops and sudden braking also increase fuel use.
- When buying a new vehicle, consider smaller, more fuel-efficient cars or hybrids. You could save up to $550 a year in energy costs.
- Travel in a carpool or vanpool. Sharing a ride cuts your fuel consumption in half if you carpool with even one additional person.
- Don't idle. Idling for more than 10 seconds wastes more fuel than it would take to restart your car.
- Check your tire pressure once a month. Keeping tires inflated to recommended pressure can save you $50 a year in fuel.
- Dump the trunk. Excess weight in your vehicle will make it work harder and burn more gas.
- Warm-up your vehicle by driving it. Most fuel-injected cars and trucks only need seconds of warm-up time even on the coldest winter days.
- Drive less by arranging to do all your errands at the same time. Even better - walk to the store or use a bicycle to save on fuel and improve your health.
- Use public transit where possible. It reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 75 per cent.
Electronics
The computer and other home electronics are often left running unnecessarily. Pull the plug on energy waste!
- Computers and related components have standby features that use electricity even when they are not in use. Plug each computer component into a power bar that can be shut off.
- Make sure you enable your computer's energy-saving features such as the sleep or hibernation mode, minimal power management, and standby.
- Buy ENERGY STAR®-qualified computer systems and monitors when you replace a system.
- Turn off your computer monitor when it's not in use. It uses up to 60 per cent of the total power used by a computer.
- Put your home entertainment systems on a power bar and turn off the bar when you are not using them. (This applies to components without clocks and timers, of course.)
- Unplug infrequently used TVs and computers. Many continue to draw power even when turned off.
Heating
In an older home, heating can account for nearly two thirds of your energy costs. To conserve energy and save money, start with the building itself. By reducing heat loss, you won't have to buy as much energy.
- Install a programmable thermostat and set it to lower your heat at night and when you are away. These thermostats cost as little as $40, and easily pay for themselves in energy savings in the very first year.
- Weather strip doors, windows, and your attic hatch to reduce air leaks and uncomfortable drafts. In an older home, air leakage accounts for 30-40 per cent of total heat loss.
- If your home is electrically heated, replace the old-style thermostat with a more accurate electronic model. It will improve comfort and save energy.
- Turn down the temperature by 5 °C overnight and when you're away. This one simple habit can cut heating costs by up to 12 per cent.
- Open blinds and curtains to allow sunshine in. This natural heat source is free!
- Use area rugs on cold floors - if your feet are cold, your body will feel cold.
- Service your heating equipment annually to maintain peak performance.
- Lowering your thermostat at night does work! Even though your furnace will run longer in the morning, it will still use less energy than if it ran at the higher setting all night.
Lighting
Some bright ideas for saving money on lighting.
- Turn off lights when you aren't using them, even if it's just a few minutes. Turning a light on and off as needed uses less energy than leaving it on all the time.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They cost little more than regular light bulbs but use 75 per cent less electricity and last for at least five years.
- Do not use CFLs with dimmer switches or electronic timers (unless specified on the package) as this can reduce the life of the bulb.
- If you have lights that must be on all night, such as nightlights in stairways, replace with CFL bulbs. Better yet, use an LED (light emitting diode) nightlight, which costs less than 20¢ a year to run and requires no bulb changes.
- For outside lighting, install a motion sensor that turns the lights on automatically when somebody walks by, and then turns them off automatically.
- Make your holidays brighter by saving money on lighting. Did you know... You can power more than 100 LED lights using the same amount of energy as one traditional glass bulb. LED lights last at least 10 times longer than traditional bulbs, produce very little heat, reducing the risk of fire and contain no glass so they're durable and safe.
- Do you really need light everywhere in the room? You can lower your energy demand by shining bright light only where you need it - this is called “task lighting.”
- Keep light fixtures clean - a cleaner bulb is a brighter bulb.
Refrigeration
Your refrigerator is always on, but you can still put the freeze on energy costs.
- Don't let frost build up more than 6 millimetres in your freezer. Defrost regularly for peak efficiency.
- Replace your old refrigerator with a new energy-efficient model to reduce your electricity costs by as much as $200 a year.
- When buying new appliances look for the ENERGY STAR® logo to guarantee top energy performance.
- Don't set the temperature colder than it needs to be; check the manufacturer's recommendations for the right setting.
- Unplug or get rid of the old refrigerator in your basement. It could be costing you $200 a year or more in electricity.
- Check your refrigerator door seal by closing the door on a $5 bill. If the bill is held tightly in place, the seal is OK. If not, the door may need to be adjusted or the seal replaced.
- Vacuum your refrigerator's coils every three months.
- Keep refrigerators and freezers out of direct sunlight, and allow a space of at least 5 centimetres around the appliance to let heat escape from the compressor and condensing coil.
- Every time you open the refrigerator door, the air you paid to cool escapes. Be organized and reduce the number of times you open the door.
Water Heating
Wasted hot water is money down the drain. Here's how to tap into savings.
- Take a shower, not a bath. A typical bath uses approximately 75 litres of hot water. A five-minute shower with an efficient showerhead will use about half that.
- Wrapping your electric water heater with an insulating blanket can reduce its electricity use.
- Install one-inch-thick insulation on all of your accessible hot water pipes and on the first 3 metres (10 feet) of your cold water pipes. Ask for a product that is a minimum of R-4.
- Install a low-flow showerhead. If you take one five-minute shower each day, it could save you $50 a year.
- Turn off your water heater if you are away from your home for more than a day.
- Reducing the water temperature from 60° to 50°C can cut water-heating costs by 12-14 per cent.
- Fix leaky faucets. A steady drip of hot water can cost you as much as $100 a year.
- Drain a small amount of water from your hot water tank every six months or as recommended by the manufacturer. This will remove sediment, which can build up in your tank, prevent heat transfer, and lower the unit's efficiency.
- The hot and cold connections of your domestic water tank are subject to convective forces, which allow accelerated heat loss from the storage tank piping. Ask your plumber about installing a heat trap on both the hot and cold connections to your domestic water heater to mitigate this phenomenon; it is an upgrade with a quick payback period of one to two years. Many new water heaters now come standard with heat traps. Ask for them!
Wood Heating
Thinking of using a wood stove to reduce the cost of energy? Burn hot, burn clean and you'll save some green.
- EPA-certified wood stoves can heat the average new home for as little as $600 a year, compared to oil at $1500 and electricity at $1550. That's up to $950 in savings a year!
- If you're buying a new wood stove, invest in an EPA-certified model. EPA-certified stoves reduce wood use by 25 per cent, and can reduce smoke by as much as 90 per cent.
- To ensure peak performance and safety, insist on having a technician certified by Wood Energy Technology Transfer (WETT) install your new wood stove.
- Check your chimney. Wood smoke is a sign your wood is not burning properly.
- Be sure your stove is the proper size. Bigger is not always better - a bigger stove may overheat today's well-insulated homes.
- Never use freshly cut or “green” wood; it contains a lot of water and burns inefficiently. It also produces high levels of smoke and creosote, which leads to poor air quality and can also cause chimney fires.
- Never burn plastic, wet wood, painted or treated wood, particleboard, plywood, cardboard, or diapers as they may emit toxic chemicals.
- Locate your stove in the space where you spend the most time. Wood stoves located in the basement distribute heat poorly and can lose more heat, especially if your basement is poorly insulated.
- Seasoning firewood for your woodstove can reduce your heating costs by an additional 20 per cent. You can buy your wood in the spring and shelter it from the weather to allow at least six months of seasoning before it's time to turn up the heat.