Reducing your energy needs

Soaring energy prices are just beginning to make themselves felt throughout the economy. It’s a sure bet that the price of practically everything we buy will be affected as rising energy costs are passed on through the system. Where does that leave you and what can you do to improve your energy situation?

Let’s begin by assessing your own household and, with the help of the following, apply some of the practical and inexpensive ways to reduce your energy consumption. Not only will it save you money, it will help assure that your children and their children will benefit from the resources that we enjoy, but too often take for granted.
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Understanding energy
Making the right choices
Tour of the house
Create your own program
Valuable information sources

Understanding energy

Where does your money go?
Do you know where your energy money is going? In many cases a sizeable amount may be going down the drain or out through leaky doors and windows. For every dollar spent on energy in Canadian households, an average of 35%-45% is devoted to space heating/cooling, 30%-35% to lighting, cooking and other appliances, 15%-20% to heating water and 8%-12% to refrigeration. These percentages can vary according to your location, lifestyle, the number of occupants in the home, etc.
Understanding your energy bills
Before beginning to assess your energy consumption, you’ll need to understand how different energy sources are measured and how these appear on your energy bill:
ElectricityElectricity is measured in kilowatt hours (KWh), or one watt x 1000, that are then multiplied by the rate per KWh ex.: 2,000 KWh x 10¢ = $200. At present, the price per KWh across Canada varies from about 6¢ to 10¢. One kilowatt hour is the amount of electricity required to keep a 100-watt bulb lit for ten hours.
Heating oilLike gasoline for the car, heating oil is measured in litres thus, 500 litres at 50¢ per litre will cost $250. (Recently, these prices have risen well beyond the 50¢ level).
Natural gasNatural gas is measured and priced in cubic metres, /m3.
PropaneFor propane, present domestic use is reserved mainly for cooking and propane-powered fireplaces and is measured in litres.
WoodWood is measured by the cord, 4 feet x 8 feet.Wood piece length is usually 12 to 20 inches. Prices vary widely according to availability in any particular area.
EnerGuide and ENERGY STAR ratings
EnerGuide and ENERGY STAR are tools designed to help consumers receive information regarding the comparative energy ratings and operating expenditures for many major household appliances, as well as a wide range of other devices used in the home. In Canada, ENERGY STAR currently includes the following product categories:
  • Home Appliances
  • Heating, Cooling and Ventilation
  • Lighting and Signage
  • Consumer Electronics
  • Office Equipment
  • Windows and Doors

For full information on how to use these tools, consult the Natural Resources Canada website at:
http://www.energuide.nrcan.gc.ca. You can also link up to the ENERGY STAR website via the NRC address. It’s well worth the effort.

Making the right choices

Spend a little – Save a lot
Many of the following suggestions involve purchases of various kinds, but your investment will be repaid in a short time – a year or two in many cases. For instance, the cost of a water heater blanket can be offset by energy savings in less than one year. The same blanket will still be saving money five or ten years down the line. CMHC estimates that the following improvements will produce energy savings: improved insulation and draught-proofing 37%, door and window replacement 13%, exterior wall insulation 9% and furnace upgrade 41%.

The two major systems: heating/air conditioning and water
The two major systems that account for more the half of the energy consumed in Canadian homes are heating/air conditioning and water heating/consumption. There’s an extensive list of things that you can do to render them more efficient.
Heating and Air Conditioning
We devote about 40% of our energy budgets to heating and cooling our homes, with heating accounting for the lion’s share. Over the years, more and more emphasis has been placed on building homes that are easier and less expensive to keep warm. Thicker insulation, air-tight doors and windows and high-efficiency heating systems reduce energy consumption and increase comfort. Which doesn’t mean that you can’t improve on these measures by adopting a few of your own.
  • Turn down the temperature in an unoccupied room in the winter. 16°C is considered sufficient to maintain temperature and avoid condensation.

  • Install programmable electronic thermostats that will regulate the system automatically by turning the heating on and off according to your choices. The user can preset selections for as long as thirty days at a time.

  • Have your furnace inspected periodically and ask for a combustion efficiency test. The result should exceed 80%.

  • Use a portable space heater for warming the room you’re in. Some models can be pre-programmed to turn on in anticipation of your arrival.

  • Clean or replace forced air furnace filters every month in peak periods.

  • Wear a sweater in lieu of turning up the thermostat if the room feels cool.

  • Close the blinds and windows during the daylight hours in the summer to keep the cool air in and the hot air out. Do the same at night in the winter to keep the cold air away.

  • Install interior or exterior double windows in the fall on older homes.

  • Inspect and replace damaged or worn weather stripping sections around doors and windows every fall. Over time, it can dry, crack and lose its prime function.

  • Place heat shrinking plastic sheeting over windows to stop air leaks. It’s also quite inexpensive and easy to install.

  • Install a ceiling fan that uses very little electricity, will cool the room in the summer and, with the blades reversed, warm the room by dispersing heat in the winter.
Water usage and heating
About 15% of the average energy bill is devoted to heating water for the kitchen, the bathroom, the laundry room and, to a lesser extent, the swimming pool (for those who have one). Savings in this area in can be achieved in two ways i.e., by using less water and/or by heating it more efficiently.
  • Replace leaky faucet valve gaskets, a job that is within the reach of most homeowners and requires but a few tools and knowledge. A leaky faucet losing one drop per second will waste 9,000 litres per year.

  • Replace that out-of-date and inefficient water heater. Over the years, efficiency has improved, so if your unit is old, replacing it will save a lot of money in the long run.

  • Install a water heater blanket. It can pay for itself quickly (sometimes in less than a year). Note that not all water heaters are suited for this. Consult your owner’s manual.

  • Enclose the hot water pipes with insulating foam tubes or tape to prevent heat loss wherever there’s access. When hot water circulates through the house, a lot of heat is lost through the exposed copper piping system.

  • Set the water heater temperature at between 50°C and 54°C.

  • Leaving on a trip? Turn off the water heater before you leave. There’s no use keeping water hot while you’re gone.

  • Save on water consumption and heating costs with faucet aerators.

Tour of the house

In the bathroom
  • Reduce water consumption by as much as 60% with a high-efficiency shower head. It’s also quite simple to install.

  • Take showers as opposed to baths. You’ll use only half the water.

  • Turn off the shower while soaping.

  • Place a toilet dam in the toilet tank that can save as much as 5 litres per flush. It’s not recommended to place a brick in the toilet tank. A sealed, water-filled plastic bag will also work as long as it can be placed away from the flush mechanism.

  • Make sure that the toilet mechanism is in good repair and fix any leaks. A toilet running unchecked can waste as much as 200,000 litres per year.

  • Consider replacing the existing toilet with a low-consumption model that uses less than six litres per flush.

  • Train yourself to turn the faucet on and off while brushing teeth or shaving. Do the same in the shower while lathering up.
In the kitchen
  • Make sure the dishwasher is full before turning it on and select the appropriate cycle to do the job. Use the "Air Dry" setting to finish. Compared to older models, the latest generation of dishwashers use less than half the hot water.

  • Don’t rinse the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. The latest models make rinsing unnecessary.

  • Regularly remove dust from the refrigerator coils and periodically check and clean the door seal to make sure it’s tight. Defrost when you detect ice buildup in the freezer. Ice buildup drastically decreases efficiency.

  • Set the refrigerator at 1.7 to 3.3°C (35 to 38°F) to get maximum efficiency and food safety. The freezer compartment should be set at -18°C (0°F).

  • Make sure the freezer seals are tight, clean the coils and defrost at least once per year.

  • Check that the oven door seal is free of debris and closes tight. If you detect hot air escaping, check and replace the seal. Opening the oven door repeatedly during cooking will result in heat loss and may even spoil your soufflé!

  • Match the pot to the element size on the stovetop.

  • Have warped pots and pan bottoms machined to allow them to sit flush on the stove elements.

  • Boil water in an electric kettle; that’s more efficient than a stove element.

  • Heat up small quantities of food in a toaster oven or microwave that uses less power than the stove oven.
In the laundry room
  • Wash clothes in cold water. The savings are significant and cold water is less damaging to most fabrics. Also match the available wash cycles, usually light, normal and heavy, to the wash loads as suggested by the manufacturer.

  • Fully load the clothes washer. It operates more efficiently with full loads.

  • Use an outdoor clothesline for drying clothes when the weather permits. In the winter, the air is generally quite dry and if you don’t have a humidity problem in the house, dry clothes overnight on a rack. In some instances the humidity absorbed by the dry air will add to the comfort of the home.

  • Regularly clean the clothes drier lint filter. An obstructed filter will decrease efficiency and may even become a fire hazard.

  • Consider replacing the old clothes washer with a front-loading model that uses less water.

  • Consider replacing the old dryer with one that shuts off automatically by measuring the moisture level.
In the office
  • Turn off the monitor when not in use. In a computer system, the monitor uses 60% of the power, with the remaining 40% powering the computer itself.

  • Definitely turn off older laser printers that draw enormous amounts of power when left on continuously.

  • Arrange the lighting to illuminate the area where you’re working and not the entire room.
In the house
  • Turn off the lights when leaving the room. In the summer, they add unwanted heat. As well, check out the new generation of low-wattage fluorescent bulbs. Although more expensive to buy, they can save as much as 60% over conventional incandescent bulbs and they last much longer.

  • Do not connect a bank of lights to a single switch. Spread out the load over multiple switches.

  • Install dimmer switches that will let you regulate light intensity and energy consumption in the room according to your needs.

  • Consider installing additional energy-saving measures such as timers to switch off lights after a preset period or motion sensors that switch them off when the room is empty.

  • Make sure that any open areas in the walls or the transition area between the house structure and foundation are completely sealed. Cold moist air from the outside will not only rob heat, the moisture, if it gets into the insulation, will reduce its effectiveness and produce dangerous mould.

  • Choose rechargeable batteries over single-charge batteries. They can be recharged up to fifty times, so are less expensive in the long run.

  • Keep fireplace and stove dampers closed to prevent warm air loss when not in use.

  • Choose energy efficient, insulated windows when replacement time comes.
Outdoors
  • Consider a solar water heater. They’re efficient, relatively inexpensive and less costly to use. A large number of swimming pools are equipped with heat pumps to control water temperature. Besides the cost of the pump and the installation, the cost of the electricity, gas or oil needed to fuel the pump can easily exceed $400 per season. Keep the pool water warm at night with a solar blanket.

  • Install a rain barrel to capture runoff from the roof for watering lawns and gardens. Some filter this water through a metal sieve (apparently a nylon stocking attached to the downspout also works well) and pour it into the pool to top off the losses from evaporation.

  • Water plants and lawn in the early morning to cut down on evaporation (by as much as 50%).

  • Use a bucket filled with soapy water to wash the car. Use the hose only to wet a section, turn it off, wash the section from the bucket and use the hose to rinse. The point is to avoid having the hose running constantly throughout the process.

  • Plant trees and shrubs in key areas to shade the home in the summer (deciduous) and provide a windbreak on the north side in the winter (coniferous).

  • Install a light with a motion sensor outdoors that will only turn on when someone passes nearby. The light will turn off automatically after a few minutes. This measure will save energy while reducing light pollution.

  • Use outdoor solar lighting when the situation warrants it.

  • Use rechargeable or electric outdoor equipment when possible instead of gasoline.

  • Use a manual lawn mower if you only have a small space to mow. They’re easier to store in the winter and will last for a long time.

Create your own program

Try this. Get out your home energy bills for the last twelve months, add them up and multiply the result by 10%. How much is it? $100, $250, $500? What if you could save that amount, year in and year out, for the foreseeable future? Or take it one step further and roll these sums back into more energy savings. Can you imagine how energy-efficient your home would be in just three years, five years? Set energy savings goals and get the whole family to participate. You may even be able to surpass them. In any case, the lessons learned may well be carried forward by your children.

Valuable information sources

There’s a wide range of information sources offering ways to evaluate home energy expenditures, compare the energy efficiency of various items like appliances, offer practical tips and solutions designed to reduce energy consumption and more. They can be consulted online or through printed documents and brochures. Many provinces sponsor energy efficiency programs that provide financial incentives to help you reduce your power needs. They can usually be found by contacting the provincial energy
ministries or corporations.
  • The CMHC
  • Natural Resources Canada
  • Environment Canada
  • Hydro-Québec
  • Eneract (Energy Action Council of Ontario)
  • Saskatchewan Office of Energy Conservation
  • BC Hydro
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • Ontario Ministry of Energy
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