Reduce your emissions

Winter energy saving tips...

• Install a setback thermostat that controls heating costs by automatically lowering the heat when no one is home.
• Close off heat and doors to unused rooms.
• Consider switching to compact fluorescent lighting. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use about 75 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs.
• Caulk, weather-strip, and foam to seal air leaks.
• To help reduce home heating demand, consider using motorized air intake and outlet dampers. They minimize the exchange of air through openings and ducts where cooler outside air can enter your home, or warmer inside air escape.
• Change your furnace filter monthly during the heating season. Most hardware stores now carry a washable, universal-size filter that should fit most furnaces.
• Check windows and exterior doors for air leakage. Heat passes through a window with a single pane of glass 14 times faster than through a well-insulated wall.
• Close the damper on your fireplace when not in use.

• Get winter-ready with a complete tune-up and change your oil to a lightweight multigrade.
• Snow tires give better traction on snow and ice, but remember to take them off in the spring to save fuel.
• Using a block heater reduces fuel consumption, but don't overdo it. Use an automatic timer, starting it one to two hours before you plan to travel.

Summer energy saving tips...

...at home

• Keep your air conditioner in the shade. An air conditioner exposed to direct sunlight will use 5 per cent more energy than a shaded one.
• Adjust your air conditioner's thermostat when you go out and shut down your system when you are away for extended periods.
• Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120ºF) for everyday use, and turn it down when you go away.
• Turn off and unplug stereos, radios, TVs, VCRs and clocks when you leave for holidays. These appliances have a stand-by function that uses energy even when they are turned off.

• Don't use the air conditioner in stop-and-go traffic and you save on fuel consumption by as much as 20 per cent. Stay cool at highway speeds by using your car's flow-through ventilation.
• Don't idle. Idling for one hour uses 1.4 litres of fuel. If every Canadian motorist avoided idling by only 10 minutes daily, approximately three million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions would be avoided every year.
• Remove roof racks and put luggage in the trunk. (Saves up to five per cent of fuel by reducing aerodynamic drag.)
• Gradual starters save money. Avoid flooring the gas pedal from a dead stop. This uses 50 per cent more fuel than gradually pulling away.
• Keep your tires inflated. Under-inflated tires can increase your fuel consumption by five per cent.

Saving energy at work

• Turn off your computer when it isn't being used. Each computer consumes about 150 watts. About 30 to 40 per cent of personal computers and printers are left running at night and on weekends. These machines are idle as much as 90 per cent of their workday. Switching computer equipment on and off will not damage the components.
• Photocopy only what you need. Photocopiers are by far the most energy intensive office machines.
• Reduce lighting. Natural light saves on energy and is easier on the eyes. Open curtains and blinds to bring more natural light into your work area.
• Use appliances appropriately. Many offices have small appliances such as kettles, coffee makers, and heaters. Where possible, consider using a communal appliance on each floor. Using larger appliances is generally more efficient than running a number of small appliances.
• Encourage decision-makers to purchase energy-efficient office equipment, lights and appliances.
• Encourage alternatives to driving to work alone. For example, organize a car pool, a "leave the car at home" day or a friendly "bike to work" challenge.