Citizen Action
For information about local energy conservation initiatives, please refer to Burlington Hydro's website. Also, please visit www.halton.ca/airquality to view two short videos and learn how saving energy is good for air quality, your health, and the climate.
This section is taken directly from the Ontario Power Authority's "Every Kilowatt Counts" website.
During last summer’s heat wave, Ontarians demonstrated that we can reduce our use of electricity by a measurable amount. But we don’t have to wait for an emergency. We can do small things to save electricity every day. Electricity consumption in the average Ontario home looks like this:
- 31% for heating and cooling
- 15% for lighting
- 38% for appliances (including washer and dryer, fridge, freezer, stove and dishwasher)
- 15% for water heating
Much of this energy is wasted such as through air leaks around poorly fitted doors and windows, and due to lights and appliances being left on when not in use.
Here are 15 easy tips to get you started.
You’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to save energy in your home, and how much money you can save, too!
- Change furnace filters regularly. You should do so every other month or monthly if you have pets. A dirty furnace filter reduces air flow and makes your furnace work harder; clean filters can save up to 5% of energy use.
- Use special tape to seal leaky heating ducts – it’s easy to apply and keeps the hot or cool air going to where it’s needed.
- Take a quick shower instead of a bath. A typical bath uses about 75 litres of hot water, while a five-minute shower with an energy efficient showerhead will use about half that amount.
- Don’t overcool your food. Is the temperature of your refrigerator and your freezer set for only as cold as you need? Defrost your manual-defrost freezer regularly to ensure it operates at maximum efficiency.
- Get rid of the old “energy hog” fridge in the basement. It is wasting both space and energy. The fridge you bought in 1975 costs about four times as much to run as a new ENERGY STAR® model.
- Wash your clothes in cold or warm water. Did you know that 85-90% of the energy used by washing machines is used to heat the water?
- Use energy-saving small appliances, and use the big ones less often. Electric kettles, toaster ovens, or microwaves use much less electricity than stoves and ovens.
- Go for the full load. Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when you have a full load, and use the energy-saving cycle, if your appliance has one.
- Dry naturally. If you have the space, use old style clothes drying racks which also add humidity to the dry winter air in your house. When the weather is right, use an outdoor clothesline to dry laundry.
- Use fans as a cool alternative to air conditioners. Install ceiling fans to help keep rooms cooler, instead of using an air conditioner. Make sure they blow downward in summer, and upward in winter.
- Use air conditioning responsibly. How low do you really need to go? During last summer’s heat wave, 20% of all the energy consumed in the province was for air conditioning. The combined benefits of everyone setting their temperature a little higher would be impressive. And remember, air conditioners cool people, not homes. Don’t run the A/C when you’re not home.
- Turn off the lights – an unlit light does not use energy. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs whenever possible – they use 75% less electricity and last much longer than incandescent styles. Motion sensors can also help you ensure those lights go off when you’re not in the room.
- Turn down the lights. Dimmer switches help you use only the amount of light – and electricity – you really need. And remember, keep your lights clean – a cleaner bulb is a brighter bulb.
- Seal the deal on electricity savings. Weather stripping and caulking around windows, ducts and doors can cut your heating and cooling bill by 10%. Beef up your insulation. Larger projects such as increasing ceiling insulation to R-30 standards can cut the home heating and cooling cost of a properly sealed home by 20-25%. Purchasing an R-2000 or ENERGY STAR® home could save you 30 – 40% of the energy of a home built to the minimum Ontario Building Code standards.
- Landscape for energy efficiency. Planting trees for wind barriers and shade, installing energy efficient windows, air conditioners and furnaces can also provide large energy savings.
Ready to go the extra mile for energy efficiency? Consider investing to improve your home’s energy efficiency. With increasing energy costs, pay-back periods are becoming shorter and the benefits are being realized more quickly. And some financial institutions are even offering preferred rates on loans to improve the energy-efficiency of your home. Having a professional energy audit of your home can provide you with a plan to improve your home’s energy efficiency and help you maximize your investment.