Tips for Saving

Peak Demand

Night time is the right time.

In order to spread out our electricity use and bring down our peak demand, wait to do the laundry until after 9:00pm, and if this is not feasible, at least wait until after 7:00pm, when energy is in an off-peak time.

Same goes for the dryer, especially since it uses more energy than the washing machine! Whenever possible, air dry your clothes. Purchase a drying rack and set it up in your bathroom. This tactic saves up to 5 per cent energy when used regularly. If you have to use the dryer, be sure to run full loads, use a “moisture-sensing” setting, and always clean the lint trap.

Also, run the dishwasher before you go to bed and let it run through the night.

Lights! Camera! Take Action!

What's the number one thing we think about when we hear energy conservation? When you leave a room or your unit: turn off your lights! This is a great way to get started down the green road. Also, if you still have incandescant lightbulbs in your unit, get rid of them and replace them with CFLs. Check out Oliver's first couple blogs to learn more about them.

Even though we turn off our lights when we're not around and we use CFLs, there is still one more thing that we can do to ensure our lighting is working most efficiently. Ensuring that they are turned off, make sure you dust your lamps and light fixtures every week or so. Even a thin layer of dust on a bulb can reduce light levels and make it work harder to compensate for it.

Stand-by Power

Stick it to the suckers. Get unplugged.

Most people don't realise it, but many of our appliances use power even when they are switched off, and some of them use as much power as when they are turned on! A large number of electrical products – from air conditioners to DVD players – can’t be completely switched off without unplugging the device. These products draw power 24 hours a day, often without us even realizing it. This is often referred to as stand-by or phantom power. Therefore, when your appliances aren't in use, don't just turn them off, unplug them too!

Bad back? Try a power bar!

Bending over, crawling and simply getting to your outlets to unplug appliances isn't always an easy thing to do. Also, keeping track of everything you have plugged in is a difficult task by its self as well. To keep track of all your appliances and fight phantom power without breaking your back, plug all of your electronics into power bars so that a simple flick of a switch is all you need to shut off numerous appliances at once. Don't want to have to remember to switch your power bar on and off all of the time? Get a power bar with a timer!

Space Heating and Cooling

Is it the right air condition for the air conditioner?

Take a second to breath and ask yourself, does my air conditioner really have to be on? When the outside temperature is moderate, open a window or use ceiling fan instead of running your air conditioner. A fan only requires a tenth of the electricity needed to run a window air conditioner! If you use a room air conditioner, check the filter at least once at the beginning of the summer to see if it needs to be cleaned or replaced. If clogged, your unit will operate inefficiently.

Go automatic with a programmable thermostat.

This little gizmo turns the heat up and down automatically. It can be set lower for times when you are sleeping and set to heat up just before you get up in the morning - and set to a lower temperature when you leave home. By installing one in your unit your family can save 10% or more of its heating costs.

Don’t let your furnace choke you out of savings.

While this isn’t a job for you, a properly tuned furnace burns cleaner and saves energy.

Seal a deal at the door.

Talk to your Property Manager about weather stripping. You can reduce your heating bills by a whopping 25 % by putting proper weather stripping in your unit where it leaks and caulking doors and windows. Also, ask if you can use plastic window covers to help prevent heat loss.  This will help to keep your apartment even warmer during the winter reducing drafts.

Go undercover.

Use window shades, drapes or blinds to reduce or block sunlight and heat during the summer, particularly if you have windows that receive direct sunlight. Do the same in the winter, but at night, to keep in the heat.

Cool Cooking - Make the most, while using the least.

Thaw, or partially thaw, frozen foods in the refrigerator before cooking, which will reduce the amount of time that the oven has to be on.

Also, cooking in your microwave uses two-thirds less energy than your stove. It also doesn’t cause your house to become unbearably hot!

Appliances

Appliances account for about 7-15% of household electricity use. By choosing energy efficient appliances, a lot less electricity is required. Using less electricity means that less manufacturing of energy is required. That means lower energy bills and less pollution.

Is your refrigerator running? You’d better go catch it.

These use the most energy of any home appliance. Make sure the refrigerator isn’t sitting in direct sunlight or any other heat sources. If you buy a new refrigerator or your Property Manager does, look for the Energy Star label when you’re shopping and unplug your old one. By replacing ten-year-old refrigerators with new Energy Star models, you could save enough energy to light your home for over three months. Use the EnerGuide Appliance Directory to choose an energy efficient model. Visit http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/appliances

End the washday blues.

Front-loading machines also use one-third less water, one-third less energy, and one-third less detergent.

These appliances:

• clean clothes using 50% less energy than standard machines;
• use 72 - 100 litres of water per load for a full size washer instead of 160 litres;
• extract more water from clothes during the spin cycle, reducing drying time and saving energy and wear-and-tear on your clothes.

Water Conservation

Some quick tips on water conservation:

• Don't let hot water run when shaving, doing dishes, etc.
• If you can, turn your water heater down 2 degrees; it will save energy while still providing very hot water.
• Soak pots and pans before washing.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator rather than running tap water until it is cool enough to drink.
• Check regularly for any water leaks and fix them.  Notify maintenance as soon as a leak is detected so that it can be repaired.
• Turn the tap water off while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face.
• Instant boiling water taps use energy constantly. Disabling them when they won’t be used for a long period of time can save energy.
• Using cold water whenever possible instead of warm or hot can lead to big energy savings. Some suggestions as to when cold water is a feasible option include:
  • Soaking dinnerware and cooking utensils (especially those caked with food) in cold water with a small amount of detergent.
  • Dishes that aren’t greasy can be washed in cold water.
• If you're using a dishwasher, let the dishes air dry as the majority of the electricity that a dishwasher uses is during the drying cycle.
• Use cold water when running the garbage disposal.
• Fruits and vegetables can be washed in cold water, other than melons. Warm or hot water must be used to clean melons since salmonella can be transferred on the skin.