Tim Hewetson

We don’t want to think about winter. But the days and nights are getting chillier as the mercury drops. And the forecast for this winter is a cold one. How can you save cash on your heating and enerrgy costs? Here are some practical tips:

• Lower your thermostat at night and whenever the house is unoccupied. Close off and don’t heat unoccupied rooms (unless you have a heat pump). If you consistently set your thermostat back by a few degrees you may reduce your heating bill by 10-20%.
• Lower the thermostat and dress warmer. A few degrees can make a difference in energy consumption.
• Lower the temperature on your electric water heater to 45 degrees Celsius. Turn it off when leaving for extended periods of time. Electric water heaters can be set on timers; gas heaters must be set manually.
• Set refrigerator temperatures between 2 and 10 degrees Celsius. Clean the coils. Keep the refrigerator stocked – it takes more energy to cool an empty fridge.
• Consider replacing your older refrigerator. Older models can use up to 3 times the energy of newer ones.
• Wash full loads of dishes and air dry.
• When washing clothes, use warm or cold water and rinse with cold. Air dry clothes, but not indoors as this creates unwanted mould and moisture problems.
• Shut off lights, computers and other electronic appliances when you’re not using them. Many computer monitors have a sleep mode setting which, when activated, greatly reduces energy consumption.
• Use a microwave or toaster to cook smaller items.
• Install a low-flow showerhead. Showers use less hot water than baths; also consider taking shorter showers.
• Close your fireplace damper and seal the opening shut when not in use.
• During the heating season, open south-facing window coverings (e.g. drapes and blinds) during the day. Close all window coverings at night to keep the heat in.
• Install foam gaskets behind all electric-outlet and switchplate covers.
• Examine and adjust, if necessary, weatherstripping, door sweeps and thresholds.

For more tips go to the Ontario Ministry of Energy’s website.