17 Ways to Save Energy: City Wide Home Inspectors

Mould: 10 Things to Know • Radon Gas • 17 Ways to Save Energy • Childproofing Your Home
What is a Home Inspection • Hiring a Home Inspector • What Really Matters • 3 Deadly Mistakes • Pre-Sale Inspection

:: EnerGuide Program

EnerGuide is a Natural Resources Canada initiative that helps consumers purchase the most energy-efficient equipment on the market. We strive to increase public awareness of the link between energy and the environment and to promote the opportunities opened up by energy-efficient technology.

The EnerGuide label is a tool to help you make an energy-wise choice when buying a new appliance. It shows how much energy appliances consume in a year of normal service and makes it easy to compare the energy efficiency of each model to others of the same size and class.

Consumers
Is your old appliance coming back into style? It might look like new models now on the market, but the similarity ends there. The extra energy it takes to power an old appliance costs you more than it's worth. Today's machines do the job better, are quieter and, best of all, are more energy-efficient. Find out how much you are spending to keep that old appliance going . . . More

Every time you use an appliance you spend money. Calculate how much you are going to spend before you buy using EnerGuide's Interactive Energy Cost Calculator.

The type of appliance you choose says something about the life you lead. It's possible to spend your money without compromising your values. Make a decision that will benefit your family, your finances and the future . . . More

New appliances last for years, it's worth paying a little more up-front knowing you'll have extra money in your wallet at the end of every month. If you're only comparing sticker prices, you might not be getting a bargain . . . More

17 Ways To Save Energy

With the rising cost of energy cost, here are some easy to do tips to help lower your energy bill.

1. Get a home energy audit every couple of years from a Certified NACHI Home Inspector to find ways to cut costs.

2. Check with your utility company for rebated whenever you install energy-saving equipment.

3. Add more energy-efficient insulation to your attic, preferably with a resistance rating of R-21 to R-30

4. Turn down your home thermostat two degrees and save 24 -kilowatt hours a month. It might not sound like much, but it adds up.

5. Buy a programmable thermostat, especially if your home is vacant most of the day. Set it to turn on a half hour before anyone arrives home.

6. Adjust your thermostat to a comfortable temperature and wait. Turning your thermostat up or down dramatically wasted energy and increases your heating costs.

7. Lower you hot water thermostat 10 degrees, but no less than 120 degrees. You'll still get all the hot water you need and save 25-kilowatt hours a month.

8. Fix leaky faucets. One drip a second is 20 kilowatts a month.

9. Invest in weather-stripping kits if you've got drafty doors, and windows.

10. Trade your standard incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs. They are more energy-efficient, last for years instead of months, consume little power and generate little heat.

11.Turn off your computer when not in use, or use the energy-saving "sleep" mode.

12. Seal energy leaks. Caulk over cracks and small holes around windows and exterior walls. Look carefully around plumbing pipes, telephone wires, dryer vents, sink and bathroom drains and under counter tops.

13. Participate in your power company's special energy-saving program. Some programs shut down electric appliances for short bursts of time during peak hours. You hardly notice the difference at the time, but you will notice a difference when you get your bill.

14. Buy major appliances that sport the "Energy Star" sticker. That shows the appliance meets or exceeds standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

15. Consider a front-loading washing machine. They use 50 percent less energy and one-third less water. Plus, they remove far more water in the rinse cycle, and that translates into big savings in dryer time.

16. When building a home or replacing a roof, select a roof based more on energy efficiency than how it looks. Light-coloured roofs, such a white, galvanized metal or cement tile, do the best job of reflecting the sun, and cool quickly at night.

17. Landscaping with the right mix of trees and shrubs can lower your energy bills by blocking winter winds or the summer sun.