TIPS TO SAVE ENERGY AND MONEY IN WINTER

Trying to keep your home warm for the cruel Canadian winter can lead to a huge bill. However with some tips and adjustments, you can surely reduce your bills.

In this blog we will help you plan to save energy and money during the cold winter months.

·         SEAL AIR LEAKS: Examine your entire house and look at all the overlooked gaps, cracks, and opening in the windows, doors and wirings. Seal all the air leaks by caulking or weather-stripping around the windows. For sealing of the wires and electrical fixtures you can use expanding foam sealants. Insulate everything thoroughly.

·         TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HEAT OF THE SUN: Open the curtains and windows and let the sun in. Sunlight will naturally heat up your home. Before the sun goes down make sure you close the curtains and the windows to somehow keep the heat inside.

·         USE PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT: Use a programmable thermostat to reduce the wastage of energy. Set the thermostat in a way that it increases the heat when you are home and decreases the heat when you are not home. Sensor thermostat is a good option too. This thermostat senses the people present automatically and adjusts the heat accordingly.

·         UTILIZE THE HEATER ACCORDING TO THE ROOMS USED: Another way of cutting down on your energy bill would be utilizing the heater according to the rooms being used. Try and heat only the rooms that are being used. If there are rooms in your house that are not being used, it is best to not heat them (close the vent and let the air flow to the necessary rooms).

·         ENERGY STAR:We normally spend around 20% of our electricity bill on running appliances. But there is a solution for this as well. If the appliances that is fridge, clothes washer, dish washer etc. can qualify for Energy Star we should replace them. Many major manufacturers like GE and Frigidaire use half of the energy as compared to the regular energy being used by the appliances.

·         USE LESS EXHAUST FANS: The exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms should be used only when necessary. Exhaust fans pull out the hot air out of your apartment or house.

·         UNPLUG ELECTRONICS: When you are not in the house; always unplug all the electronic appliances like TV, DVD, Kitchen appliances etc. This will save a lot of energy in turn saving your money as well.

Editor Neha Charan.