Dollar saving energy tips

Photo: jimbophoto

Energy costs will vary depending upon how you heat your home, the age of your home and whether your older home's insulation, windows and mechanical systems have been upgraded.

• Free heat. Use south-facing windows to take advantage of the sun's energy, by opening window coverings during the day and closing them at night.​
  
  
• Sensible heat. Dry air makes less contact with your skin, so it feels cooler. Increasing humidity can help make your home feel more comfortable without turning up the heat, and the extra moisture in the air will help retain the heat. In older homes with drafty windows and minimal air barriers a humidifier can help, along with house plants and containers of water placed near heating sources.
  
  
• Keep your heat. Save 25% or more on the cost of heating your home by replacing weather stripping on doors, windows and heating ducts. We can often accomplish more with a tube of caulking than a more expensive investment in insulation.
  
  
• Set it and leave it. Setting a higher temperature on the thermostat won’t heat your home faster, and an excessive lowering of the heat at night can actually cost you more, because it takes extra heat energy in the morning to re-warm the structure and its contents. Lower the heat for sleeping comfort and energy savings, but not more than 3 to 5 degrees celsius.
  
  
• Better bulbs. Lowering heating demands can save money, and so can better light bulbs. Energy Star rated LED light bulbs use about half the energy of compact fluorescent bulbs - and as little as 10% of the energy consumed by traditional light bulbs.
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• Timing tricks. You may not be ready to trade in your old appliances, but there is a lot of money to be saved by restricting the use of washers and driers to off-peak hours or the weekend.

If you or someone you know is trying to save dollars on energy but upgrades and improvements are beyond the budget, check out the Ontario Affordability Fund at affordabilityfund.org.