As we make our way into the warmer months of spring and summer, there are new ways to minimize your energy consumption around the home. The following tips are our guidelines for reducing your energy use in the months ahead:
- Clean your refrigerator condenser coils and ensure air can circulate freely; the motor works harder and uses more electricity when coils build up with dust and dirt.
- Spring is a good time to ensure all exhaust fans are operating properly: check filters for dirt and wash or replace as required.
- Plant leafy green trees on the sunny side of your home. In the summer leaves provide cool shade, and the bare branches in the winter let warm sunlight through.
- Collect rainwater by using a rain barrel on spouts. Plants love natural water.
- Periodically drain off the sediment in the bottom of your hot water tank. Built up sediment will cause the water heater to operate more often, consuming more energy to heat the water to the desired temperature.
- It is important to properly ventilate your home in order to maintain an adequate supply of fresh air and to reduce moisture. A heat recovery ventilation system is an energy efficient way of removing indoor air and replenishing the home with fresh outdoor air, ensuring a healthy and more comfortable indoor environment.
- Reducing air leaks and eliminating drafts is usually one of the most cost effective measures a homeowner can undertake to reduce energy costs and improve indoor air quality. Air leakage can account for up to 35% or more of heat loss in a home.
- Don’t put off fixing those leaky taps! A tap dripping once every second wastes 720 litres (190 gallons) per month – or 16 bathtubs full.
- Low flow shower heads conserve energy without changing water pressure. They use up to 60 per cent less water than standard fixtures.
- New high efficiency large appliances will often pay for themselves quite quickly in energy savings; thereby having a short pay-back period.
- When shopping for a new clothes washer, consider buying a front loading model. They use less water and energy, do a superior job of cleaning clothes, and require less detergent than top loading machines.
- If your computer must be left on, turn off the monitor; this device alone typically uses more than half of the system’s energy.
Source: ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen
