Saving Energy In Your Home This Winter

• Install a programmable thermostat: When properly set, a programmable thermostat can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 10 per cent. Set your thermostat to 20°C when you're at home and 18°C when sleeping or away.

• Reduce drafts: Installing weatherstripping and caulking around windows, doors and dryer vents and insulated plates on outlets can help save up to 30 per cent a year on heating costs.

• Service your furnace: Have a qualified technician service your furnace on a regular basis to ensure it is working at maximum efficiency. Clean or change the filter regularly - a dirty filter reduces airflow and makes the furnace work harder to circulate the air.

• Go off-peak: Take advantage of lower energy prices during off-peak hours. Off-peak hours are 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weeknights and all day on weekends and statutory holidays.   

• When not in use, turn off the juice: Devices like computers, TVs, and smart phone chargers continue to consume small amounts of electricity unless they are unplugged. Try plugging these items into a power bar with a switch or timer so you can easily turn them off when they are not needed.

• Lock in the heat: Close heat registers and doors in unused areas of the house and prevent warm air from escaping by closing the fireplace damper.

• Save energy on lighting: Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs use 75 per cent less electricity than incandescent.

• Cover water pipes: Pipe insulation helps maintain water temperature and allows you to turn the water heater down, which saves energy.

• Let the sunshine in: Keep curtains open during the day to draw in sunlight. Solar energy can help naturally warm your home.

• Reconfigure for warmth: Change the furniture configuration to ensure heat vents, radiators or baseboard heaters are not obstructed by furniture.

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