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Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency practices are little things you can do in your daily life that will reduce your energy consumption and save you money. These practices are grouped into no cost, low cost, and high cost solutions based on the required investment.

 

Start by taking our energy efficiency quizzes below to see how much you know about your energy usage. Then check out our helpful tips on no cost, low cost, and high cost energy efficiency practices.

Beginner's Quiz

Challenge Quiz

Energy Efficiency Tips

No Cost:

 

  • Switch off unused appliances (TV's, computers, etc..) at the outlet as they could still use electricity in standby mode

  • Turn off screen savers on your computers

  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room

  • Set your refrigerator to its optimal temperature  of 5 C and set your freezer to its optimal temperature of -18 C

  • If you have a secondary refrigerator with nothing in it, turn it off

  • Cook outside during the summer to prevent heating your house

  • Only run your washing machine if you have a full load, or set it to the half load setting if it has that feature

  • Wash clothes on a cold water setting to save up to 90% on the machine's running cost

  • Hang clothes outside to dry instead of running the dryer

  • Take quick showers instead of baths

  • Clean the filters in your air conditioner to prevent it from using extra energy

  • Open your blinds when its cool outside to heat your house and close them when its hot to keep your house cooler

  • Place heaters away from windows

  • Seal off doors to rooms that are not in use

  • When leaving your home foran extended time, turn off all electricity and hot water units

Low Cost:

 

  • Replace your incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs; CFL's and LED's are good choices 

  • Replace showerheads with low flow models

  • Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the heat and air conditioning when you are not at home

  • Use door blocks to better insulate your home and reduce drafts

  • Use timers on outside lights so they shut off at a certain time

  • Install motion sensors to turn off lights automatically

  • Invest in an energy saving power board to ensure appliances are not consuming energy when turned off​

High Cost:

 

  • Make sure the walls, ceilings, and floors in your home are properly insulated

  • Purchase appliances with a high Energy Star rating

  • Invest in a heat pump clothes dryer to replace your electric dryer as it uses half as much energy

  • Replace electric hot water heating systems with either high efficiency gas or a solar hot water system

  • Put a white roof on your house to keep it cooler in the summer

Financing Outline

The tables below provide examples of updates you can make to your home to increase your energy efficiency and display their corresponding financial implications.

 

The first column describes what the update is.

The second column shows how long it will take for the update to pay for itself.

*The tables are organized based on this payback period.

The third column shows what the initial cost of the update is.

The fourth column calculates the yearly savings that the update provides.

The fifth column calculates how much money the update will save you over ten years.

The final column illustrates the return on investment of the update as a percentage of its initial cost.

 

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