This past month our presenters have once again been busy travelling to Ottawa, Orleans, Kanata, Nepean, Milton, St. Catharines, Guelph, Mississauga, Brampton, Peterborough, Burlington, Beamsville, Newmarket, Barrie, Welland, Rockwood, Jordan, Richmond Hill, Mount Forest, Port Elgin and Niagara Falls.
Spring is in the air and while most of us use this time to clear the cob-webs there are some steps that you can take while cleaning that will also help reduce energy loss in your home – saving you money, who doesn’t want that? Here’s a list of 6 things that you can do to help conserve energy in your home:
- Unplug and Organize
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- – When you’re cleaning off your counters, desks, any flat surface really, take a few extra minutes to unplug all the cell phone and tablet chargers, small appliances, etc. You can store your cords in one spot and take them out only when using. That way you will always know where one is when needed and by not leaving it plugged in the wall with nothing on the other end you’re not leaking energy out.
- – Remember, if you’re not using it you can unplug it to maximize your energy savings.
- Turn off the heat and/or AC
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- – When the weather permits, give your furnace or air conditioner a break by turning them off and opening some windows — Breathe the fresh air, your body will thank you…so will your hydro bill.
- Clean sills and check seals
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- – While you have those windows and doors open, take a few minutes to clean out the sills and check all the seals. Gunk always builds up around them preventing a proper seal and allowing the warm or cold air out when the windows are closed.
- – It’s also a great idea to check the seal around your fridge and freezer doors. No need to refrigerate the whole house….yet.
- Dust the house and change the air filters
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- – Dirty air filters not only make the system work harder (which can cost more) they also aren’t as effective at keeping dust particles out of the air.
- – Blocked vents also make the HVAC system work harder, try and make sure that the area around the vents are clear to maximize performance and minimize energy bills.
- Dust the ceiling fans and choose the direction
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- – By having the fans move clockwise you are forcing the warm air down into the room
- – Counter-clockwise creates a wind-chill effect and can cool a room more efficiently before you need to turn on your AC.
- – Just like turning off the lights when you leave a room, try and make it a habit to turn the fan off when leaving the room as well. There’s no need to heat or cool an empty space.
- Organize the attic and seal access
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- – When you’re doing the seasonal cloths and outwear switch make sure everything is packed neatly away and seal the attic access. Attics are often less efficient at keeping cold air out in the winter but become quite hot in the summer. Try and make sure that the seal will not allow too much air loss between the main house and the attic.
Lets give a big shout out to our presenters, Danny, Fern, Blair and Denis for all their hard work this past month in teaching all the students they visited how to be more energy conscience and all the ways they can help their family save on energy around the home!!!! Way to go guys!!!!
