13 Tips on Consuming Electricity
Heating and use of electrical appliances: how is your electricity consumption doing? Here are some smart tips for saving money.
Smartly heat your home
Nancy Clark, from Hydro One in Ontario, suggests giving yourself these benchmarks: 21 ºC when you are home, 16 ºC when you are outside, and 18 ºC when you sleep. Then just adjust according to what the family deems comfortable. Each degree less on the thermostat saves 5% on heating costs.
be patient
Do not set the thermostat to a temperature higher than what you want in order to heat the house more quickly. Not only will this not speed up the process, but your heating system will run longer.
Effectively heat your home
To effectively heat your home in the colder months, Clark recommends keeping the humidity level at 30% or 40% - moist air retains heat better than dry air. To do this, consider an energy efficient humidifier.
Don't forget your fan
To reduce your heating bill, “in the winter, turn the ceiling fans slowly clockwise,” recommends Nancy Clark. In summer, turn up the thermostat by a degree or two and reverse the direction of rotation of the fan so that the warm air goes to the ceiling.
Watch for phantom energy
In each household, on average 25 electronic devices consume “phantom” energy, notes the specialist. To save time and power, plug multiple devices (computers, printers, and phone chargers) into a single power strip that is easy to turn off when not in use.
Keep heating devices away from the air conditioner
In summer, prevent the air conditioning from working twice as hard to reach the right temperature: keep lighting, electronic devices and all those objects emitting heat that artificially raise the temperature away from the thermostat.
Go to nine
Is a beer fridge purring in your basement? Maurice Nelischer, sustainability manager at the University of Guelph, suggests sending it for recycling. An old refrigerator uses up to three times more electricity than a new one, which could save you $ 300 a year.
Regularly clean the fridge and freezer
When they are too full, the air circulates poorly, which promotes uneven temperatures which overwork the compressor. Extend the life of your refrigerator - and make it more energy efficient - by replacing the gaskets as they age and deteriorate.
Help your fridge stay cold
Cool hot preparations to room temperature before storing them in the fridge, otherwise they will raise the temperature of your appliance, which will consume more electricity to stay cold.
A little research can go a long way
Ask your electricity supplier if you qualify for an incentive program - maybe you qualify for a subsidy to replace your boiler or discounts for LED bulbs or the like.
Avoid the oven
Eat small meals and heat leftovers in a toaster or microwave rather than a traditional oven - this will use up to 75% less electricity.
Take out your clothespins
Electric clothes dryers account for about 6% of the average household's electricity bill. In contrast, extending your clothes will save you up to $ 100 annually.
Save your trips
Do you drive to work every day? Your employer may let you work from home one day a week (especially these days ...) If you spend at least an hour on the road a day, telecommuting will save you over $ 150 in gasoline per year.
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