Saving Energy at Home

Now that you understand what utilities are, how to select them, and how to read your energy bills, you can begin saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in your home!

Energy saving and home safety tips

Do you know what uses the most energy in your home? If you're looking to save energy and money on your utility bills, this is important to know. The answer is heating and cooling your home and water. Consider prioritizing practices in this category! Once you've tried that, begin experimenting with smaller adjustments.

Tip 1

Program your thermostat

When people are home: 20-21° C. When people are not home: 15° C. At night: 16-18° C. How to program a thermostat.

Heating, windows, layering up

Tip 2

Close your windows when the heat is on

If you like to sleep with a window open, try turning the thermostat down to 18° C or less instead.

Heating, windows, layering up

Tip 3

Change your furnace filter every 3 months

Your furnace also needs to be serviced once a year by a licensed contractor. Here's how to change your furnace filter.

Heating, windows, layering up

Tip 4

Layer up

Wear warm clothes inside during the winter instead of turning up the heat.

Heating, windows, layering up

Tip 2

Hang your laundry to dry

You won’t use your dryer as much and it will help your clothing last longer. If you live in a strata or multi-family building, double check local bylaws to see if you’re allowed to hang laundry outside. Or, if you’re hanging laundry indoors, evaporate the extra moisture in the air by running your kitchen or bathroom fans.

Water use

Tip 3

Use your dishwasher over hand washing

A full dishwasher cycle is more efficient than washing dishes by hand. In fact, energy efficient dishwashers may use as little as four gallons of water, while handwashing may use anywhere from 20-27 gallons! And don’t worry about hand rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher either, modern dishwashers can handle it.

Water use

Tip 4

Install low flow devices

Save on water expenses by installing a low-flow fixture, which produces a lower flow rate of water whenever you turn on the tap, take a shower, or flush the toilet.

Water use

Tip 5

Shorten your showers to 5 minutes or less

A long, hot shower can be refreshing after a stressful day or being outside in the cold but keep in mind: shorter showers mean less water, and more savings.

Water use

Tip 1

Wash your clothes in cold water with cold water detergent and make sure you wash full loads

This is also good for your clothing!

Water use

Lighting

Tip 1

Switch to LED lighting

LED light bulbs are up to 90% more efficient than incandescent bulbs, plus, they last 15 times longer, so you'll have to change them less frequently.

Lighting

Tip 2

Turn off the lights

If you’re not using a room, you’re not at home, or there is enough sunlight coming through the windows that you do not need the lights, you can turn them off. This is a great example of conserving energy.

Home safety

Tip 1

Use your bathroom and kitchen fans

A family of four creates 50L of moisture a week through normal activities - that moisture needs to be removed from the house, so it doesn't create issues like mould. Use your kitchen fan when cooking and your bathroom fan twice per day for 30 minutes each time.

Home safety

Tip 2

Test your smoke detectors

It is important to have smoke alarms on every floor of your home to avoid preventable fires, but it is also critical to maintain them. Once a month, press the button on the smoke detector to test it. If the alarm sounds, it is working correctly. If you don’t hear anything, you may need to replace the batteries. If it still does not work, replace the device to ensure a safe environment.

Home safety

Tip 3

Test your carbon monoxide detectors

Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning with carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your house and test them every month. Instructions to test the detector should be in the owner’s manual but typically you have to press the test button until you hear the alarm. If you do not hear anything, replace the batteries. If this does not work, replace the device to make sure your home is safe. If the alarm sounds in your home when you are not testing it, go outside immediately and call 9-1-1. Stay outside until emergency services arrive and wait for their instructions before reentering the home.

For more energy saving tips, attend a free Energy Saving Workshop.

Kambo Energy Group respectfully acknowledges the unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Territories, on which many of our team live and work. We also gratefully acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprising the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations), on which our team also lives and works.