Winter Energy Savings Tips

See how making a few minor changes can make a major impact on your energy consumption. 

• Unplug phantom energy users before going on vacation. TVs, DVD players, computers, printers and many other electronics use energy even when they aren’t turned on.
  
• Use the smallest appliance to get the job done. Use your microwave and toaster oven for small cooking tasks.
  
• Bake several dishes at a time. Make the most of your oven and the energy that goes into heating it by using it to cook several dishes at once.
  
• Close doors and heating vents in unused rooms. Be certain there is no plumbing in the walls of these unused rooms as the temperature could drop enough to freeze any plumbing.
  
• Keep the basement warm. Keeping the basement cold may make your ground floor colder.
  
• Blinds do a better job than regular fabric draperies at insulating from the cold. Special insulated draperies and blinds are available.
  
• Replace or clean furnace filters at the beginning of the colder weather. Then replace or clean them regularly according to the information from the furnace of filters.
  
• Reduce hot water use and reduce the natural gas or electricity needed to heat the water.
• Install a high-efficiency water heater.
• Lower the temperature on the hot water tank. A drop in a few degrees can give three to five per cent in savings.
• Install reduced-flow shower heads in bathrooms.
• Keep hot showers as short as possible.
• Use a high-efficiency washing machine which uses less water.
• Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible.
• The block heater in your car is only needed at -15 or below. Consider using a timer on the cold nights as it only needs to be plugged in for two hours before starting your car to do its job.