Ann Manor
Energy Saving Suggestions
1. Heating and Cooling
- Adjust your heater/AC when leaving the unit (cooler in winter; warmer in summer)
- Reduce the temperature of your home a few degrees at night
- Whenever possible, with respect to your “normal” setting, experiment to set the thermostat cooler in winter and warmer in summer
- Close curtains/blinds during the day in summer, open them during the day in winter
- On summer nights, open windows and curtains/blinds to allow cooler air in.
2. Lighting
- Turn off unnecessary lights, particularly in the summer
- Consider using compact fluorescent bulbs
- Turn off lights whenever you leave a room or don’t need them. Each time you leave a room for more than ten minutes, turn off the light. You'll save energy while extending the life of the bulb
- Dust bulbs regularly. A clean bulb is brighter.
3. Appliances
- Refrigerator :
- Avoid overfilling the fridge portion – blocks useful air circulation
- Maximize filling the freezer – improves efficiency
- Ideal fridge temperature is 1 to 4°C, ideal freezer temperature is –15 to –18°C.
- Clean your refrigerator’s coils (back) and air intake grill (below the doors) every 3 months
- Check your refrigerator’s door seal by closing the door on a $5 bill. If it’s held tightly in place, the seal’s OK; if not, the door should be adjusted or the seal replaced
- Stove :
- Use an electric kettle to boil water – not the stove, which is less efficient
- Don’t use a bigger pot than you need, and match it to the right size element
- Dishwasher :
- Don’t waste hot water by pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher – just scrape off food and empty liquids
- Air dry your dishes – you can save 10% of the cost of operation.
- Only run dishwasher when full.
- Washer / Dryer :
- Run full loads whenever possible but don’t overload the machines.
- Try using cold or warm water for the WASH cycle, instead of hot water. As well, hot water shrinks and fades your clothes, and wears them out more quickly.
- Electronics :
- As a minimum, shut off the computer screen, as 60% of the power used by a computer is used by the monitor! (The other 40% is used to keep your hard drive spinning and to power the electronics.)
- Put your home entertainment systems on a power bar and turn off the bar when you are not using them. (Components without clocks and timer.)
Sources :
Selected from
- Ottawa Hydro Energy Conservation Guidelines
- Province of Ontario Energy Conservation Guidelines
- Hydro Quebec Energy Efficiency
May, 2011
