Save money and the environment: Tips 1-5
There can be little doubt that climate change is a reality in Canada. Extreme weather patterns, melting glaciers, declining lake levels and other symptoms all mean it's time to act.
You can help stop climate change by making energy-efficient decisions in your everyday life. According to Natural Resources Canada, energy use in Canadian homes decreased by 21 per cent from 1990 to 2004, thanks to energy-efficient improvements. Not only does this reduction in energy use mean keeping our environment green, but with rising oil and natural gas prices, it also keeps your wallet nicely padded. Here are 10 ways to do your part to save money and the environment, too.
1. Use your furnace or air conditioner only when needed
Heating and cooling are the biggest sources of energy costs for Canadian families. The best way to save money is to turn the thermostat down one or two degrees in the winter, and up in the summer.
When heating your home, every degree you turn down your thermostat can save between two and four per cent on your energy bill. In the summer, every degree below 26C means a significant increase in energy needed to run your A/C, so stick to 24 or 25C. As well, keeping your air conditioning unit out of direct sunlight will save you five per cent of your cooling costs.
Another cash saver is to plant trees. Leafy deciduous trees on the sunny side of your house will provide needed shade in the summer, while pine or fir trees on the northern side will give you welcome protection from cold winter winds.
2. Be water smart
Water heaters are the second-biggest energy user in the home. A 175-litre tank at today's prices costs approximately $500 per year to run. To cut down on this cost, wrap your electric water heater in a special tank blanket, and insulate hot water pipes to prevent heat from escaping.
Spending just 50 cents on a rubber washer to fix a leaking faucet in your home can save you $12 a year per faucet on water costs. You can also save 10 to 40 litres of water per day by simply turning off the tap when you're not using it (rather than letting it run while washing dishes or brushing your teeth).
3. Make the switch to compact fluorescent bulbs
Lighting your home can use up as much as 20 per cent of your energy bill. By switching only the five most used incandescent lightbulbs in your home to compact fluorescent lights, you can save $30 per year -- more if you switch all your bulbs. Install motion sensors on all outdoor lights so they're only illuminated when needed. You can also lower your energy needs with task lighting, concentrating bright light where it's needed, rather than evenly lighting the entire house.
4. Adopt energy-efficient laundry habits
Almost 90 per cent of laundry costs come from heating water. Washing and rinsing your laundry in cold water, rather than hot, can save approximately $80 per year.
Save even more by only doing full loads on shorter cycles (reducing water use by 95 litres per load), grouping like materials (lighter materials take less time to dry), drying loads consecutively and cleaning your lint filter (a clogged one can use up to an extra 30 per cent more energy). In the summer months, put your dryer on hiatus and hang clothes outside for a fresh, clean scent.
5. Turn off the computer
Save a whopping $240 on your energy bill annually by simply turning off your computer when it's not in use. If you need to keep it on, turning off the monitor cuts down on the energy required by 60 per cent. As well, most electronics suck up power even when they're turned off (read stand-by mode), so plugging these devices into a power bar you can switch off will further reduce your costs.
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