RESIDENTS & TENANTS

Here you’ll find the knowledge and tools to help you save money. There are many opportunities to reduce energy use and save money without sacrificing comfort:

LIGHTING

• When not in use, turn off lights, TVs and other appliances.
• Dust your light fixtures regularly as dirt can absorb light and reduce brightness.
• Change to LED lights:
  • LED’s last up to 100000 hours: that’s over 20 years if you leave your lights on 8 hours per day
  • About  80 – 90% more efficient than a regular incandescent light bulb,
  • LED lights are free of toxic chemicals and close to no UV emissions.
  • LED lights can be switched off and on frequently, without affecting the LED’s lifetime or light emission.

APPLIANCES

• When possible, use smaller appliances such as a toaster oven or microwave instead of the range as they use less energy.
• Preheat the oven only when baking as most foods can be cooked properly without preheating the oven.
• Set the temperature inside your refrigerator between 2°C and 3°C (35°F to 38°F). Freezers should operate at -18°C (0°F). You may use up to 25% more energy from keeping the temperatures 5°C (9°F) colder than the recommended levels.
• Allow hot foods and leftover meals to cool before putting them into the fridge or freezer.
• If your freezer is not full, fill plastic containers with water and freeze them. This can also help keep food frozen in the event of a power outage.
• Unplug electronic devices when you are not using them to eliminate standby power loss.
• Timers can be used for devices that are not used on a regular basis to reduce standby power loss.
• Buy energy efficient electronics or appliances that has the ENERGY STAR label to reduce energy use even in standby mode.
• Avoid using space heaters. Small electric heaters can use about 3,000 watts (about 10,000 BTU/hr) and larger ones may use over 11,000 watts (about 40,000 BTU/hr). This means that a small space heater spends about four times more energy than a refrigerator and about 120 times more than a microwave. Also, space heaters pose a much higher risk of fire, death, and injury than central heating.

IN THE SUMMER

• Increase your air conditioner temperature by one degree to lower your electricity bill by up to five per cent.
• When it’s cool outside, open the windows and turn off your air conditioner.
• Replace air filters every month. Clogged filters mean your air conditioner has to work harder. Proper maintenance of your air conditioner can increase its efficiency by about five per cent.
• Install a programmable thermostat if you don’t have one already. Set the times and temperatures to match your schedule.
• Open more than one window to create a breezy airflow and use fans instead of air conditioner if possible.