Another April 22, another Earth Day. This is a global celebration of Earth’s natural resources and ecological diversity — and a friendly reminder of the benefits of saving electricity and natural gas. For example, when was the last time you tracked your energy consumption or started an energy-saving plan at home? If you don’t know the answer to that, chances are that you are losing money on utility bills, and leaving a larger-than-necessary carbon footprint on our planet.
Don’t worry though; you can enjoy the Earth Day vibes to start an energy audit and learn how to keep your utility bills low. Whether you want to reduce your home’s energy usage or cut down your business’ energy costs, EnergyRates.ca has gathered some ways for you to conserve energy and save money regardless of what is the current electricity cost or the natural gas price in each Canadian province.
Seasonal energy-efficient upgrades
Energy efficiency is one of the best ways of lowering utility bills. Such upgrades turn your home into a cost-efficient environment and leave you less vulnerable to changes in power and natural gas rates.
You’ve probably heard about it before, but what most consumers don’t know is that seasonal energy-efficient improvements are as significant as general efficiency upgrades.
Each season requires different actions at home. Leaving the curtains open during winter, for example, will save you heating costs, as you will be letting the sunlight provide you additional, free heat. During summer, however, leaving the curtains open will only increase your energy usage.
The best way to make your home as efficient as possible during each season is by taking a look at your habits and reflecting if they have the potential to increase or reduce electricity and gas bills once the weather starts to change. The more adaptable your home is, the more energy-efficient it tends to be.
Learn which appliances cost you the most
Even though a substantial part of your utility costs depends on your actions, plenty of your energy expenses are influenced by external factors such as changes in demand and prices.
In order to diminish your household or business’ exposure to variable energy rates, you can start calculating your home appliances energy consumption. Once you know what your most and least energy-consuming devices are, you can start using them strategically when energy prices are higher.
When you know what are your largest electricity or natural gas consumers at home, you can start to avoid using them during peak hours (in case you live in a province with time-of-use electricity rates) or whenever energy rates are high.
Avoid standby mode
Standby mode doesn’t only drain a considerable part of your electricity, it is also bad for the environment. According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), a massive reduction of standby mode use in all Canadian households would cut between 1.73 and 1.99 megatonnes Canada’s yearly carbon dioxide emissions.
When it comes to money, the numbers are still impressive. According to the Energy Saving Trust, between 9 and 16 percent of the electricity consumed in homes is used to power devices when they are on standby mode. Depending on your energy usage, that could cost you up to hundreds of dollars per year.
The solution to standby mode is quite simple: Unplug whenever you can, avoid screen savers and keep an eye on entertainment devices. Even though consoles, DVD players and TVs tend to be low electricity consumers, they are usually the most responsible ones for your standby mode-related costs.
To make it easier for you is worth it plugging your devices to a power bar that can be easily unplugged from the outlet. That way, you won’t feel like unplugging devices is a burden.
Smart home gadgets
Lights that turn off when you leave the room, thermostats that can be controlled by distance — smart home devices are practical and intelligent, but can also be surprisingly energy-efficient and help you reduce your electricity bills. Many smart gadgets work as a home energy monitoring system, and allow you to track your energy usage, control devices from afar and make efficient use of your electricity.
During their lifetime, smart light bulb kits can save you up to $100, which is enough money to pay their price back as much as three times. As to occupancy sensors, they can save up to 90 percent electricity depending on the room they are installed, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
You can use sensors, smart light bulb kits and smart thermostats to make your place both more efficient and smarter. Most of these technologies have also apps available for smartphones, which makes them even more accessible.
Don’t underestimate LED light bulbs
It’s time to replace your incandescent light bulbs for LED ones. You’ve heard that story before, right? Well, if you’re looking to make an easy yet effective change this Earth Day, this is still one of the best pieces of advice you can get, especially when it comes to energy conservation.
Lighting use constitutes about 20 percent of the average household’s electricity consumption, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. If you take into consideration that LED light bulbs can use around 75 percent less energy, and last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting, you will notice significant savings on your bills once you switch out old lighting for more energy-efficient options. To your finances, that means around $45 in savings per year.
