Cutting Back on Energy Costs: 10 Smart Tips

According to Natural Resources Canada, space heating accounts for more than half of residential energy consumption each year. Here are the best 10 tips that can help reduce the cost of a residential electric bill each month:

1. 1. Home insulation to reduce heat loss in cold weather: it’s recommended to use attic insulation as well as sealing the windows and doors with sealing tape or weather strips.
2. 2. Using a programmable thermostat: this automatically increases or lowers the temperature in a home.
3. 3. Setting the temperature to 68 degrees during the day and 55 degrees during the night or when no one is home.
4. 4. Regularly maintaining the furnace’s vent system. Keep the vents clear of furniture and change the filters when they are dirty.
5. 5. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star compact fluorescent lights or LED bulbs.
6. 6. Turning off lights when they are not in use.
7. 7. Unplugging all home electronics and appliances when not in use. Using power strips helps to easily disconnect multiple devices at once.
8. 8. Replacing old, power-hungry appliances and electronics with newer, energy-saving ones, preferably with the Energy Star label.
9. 9. Whenever possible, using the cold water cycle to wash clothes in laundry machines. Avoid washing small loads and consider air-drying wet clothes instead of using a dryer.
10. 10. Running only full loads in the dishwasher and using the energy saver setting if available.

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