10 Energy Saving Solutions You Can Practice Today

There are so many things that you can do in your day to day life to reduce energy. Simple things. It all starts with your approach!

Cutting down on energy spending will undoubtedly save you money on bills but it will also help to take care of this awesome planet that we live on. So why not figure out how to conserve energy right in your own home?

Swap out your wasteful habits for more energy-efficient solutions. It may take some practice but doing so can not only give you some peace of mind but it will also leave a few extra dollars in your pocket.

So here are a few ways that you can tweak your lifestyle and energy consumption habits to work in your favour.

1.) Open your blinds or roll shutters during the day in the winter and close them in the summer. 

Use sunshine to your advantage! It is the most powerful source of heat and its FREE.

Keeping your shutters closed during the day this summer will block out most of the heat and therefore, have your air conditioning run less often. During winter months, having blinds or shutters open to let in the sun's rays can be a simple solution to save energy.

If you find your regular shutters not doing enough for you, consider looking into our roller shutters. Our security shutters aren't just for security purposes, but also excel with the heating and cooling of your household. They keep the warmth in during the cool months and the cool in during the warm months.

2.) Keep your showers short and sweet.

When you live in Canada, hot showers are a must, however, the amount of energy it requires is substantial. An easy solution to save energy is to keep your showers short. Set a timer for yourself or try turning off the faucet while you’re sudsing up.

If you’re up for an extra challenge you can even try cooling off your shower at the end. Colder showers can perk you up and can also give your hot water tank a much-needed break.

On-demand water heaters are also a great energy-saving solution if you’re looking to upgrade your appliances. These use electricity to heat the water as you’re using it instead of having to heat a huge amount as a hot water tank does. These use less energy and also save you a lot of space. 

3.) Wash your clothes in cold water.

How do you conserve energy while doing your never-ending piles of laundry? Set it to cold!

Washing your laundry in cold water is a good solution to save on energy costs and is also a nice trick to extend the life of your clothes. The cold water helps the dyes in your fabrics stick around for longer. Cold water specific laundry soaps make sure items are also getting cleaned properly. 

4.) Pay attention to lighting.

LED lights can be up to 90% more energy efficient than your classic fluorescent or incandescent lightbulbs. They emit less heat and use more of the energy for the light itself. It may be a bit of an investment to make the switch but LED lights tend to have a longer life span. Once you make the switch, it will be a long time before you have to change those bulbs again.

Turn off your lights when you’re not using them! According to direct energy, lighting can account for up to 12% of your electricity bill. You will significantly bring the cost of that bill if you use natural lighting as often as possible.

5.) Keep an eye on your thermostat.

Lower the temperature on the thermostat a few degrees when you leave your home for the day. 

If you’re looking to invest in something special, there are programmable thermostats that you can set specific times into or control from your phone. That way you can have your house heating up and back to your desired temperature before you arrive home for the night.

Some folks also get a better night's sleep in a cooler environment. Consider throwing an extra layer of clothing so that you don’t have to have the heat on all the time. A good sweater can go a long way when it comes to saving energy.

6.) Air seal and insulate your home.

Have you ever felt that cold draft coming into your home when you walk by a large window or door? Sealing off the areas of your home where you can feel the cold leaking in can be a simple solution to save energy. There are affordable, clear plastic coverings for large windows that can be used to seal out a cold draft.

Attics are ordinarily overlooked so check to see if yours is missing insulation. If it is, consider having it insulated so that all that precious heat doesn’t escape from your home.

If you require a more serious insulating layer, our roll shutters will weather seal your home and block out the wind and the cold.

7.) Keep on top of defrosting your fridge and freezer.

Contrary to what you may think, having a thick layer of ice in your freezer can act as an insulator and make your refrigerator work harder to keep your food frozen.

Make sure to defrost your fridge freezer or deep-freeze when you start to see an excess build-up of ice to ensure that your appliance is working at it’s most efficient.

Avoid direct sunlight and keep your fridge away from your stove or heating vents. Having your fridge in the correct place in your home can help it run more efficiently and save you some money.

8.) Replace your furnace filters often.

When the filters in your furnace haven’t been changed on time, your furnace tends to use more energy than it normally would. The air quality in your home also takes a dip while it recirculates dust particles back through your air vents.

Keep track of how often you need to be replacing your filters and do it on time. Set a reminder on your phone or schedule someone to service your furnace in advance so that you don’t forget.

9.) Don’t peek in the oven while your food is cooking.

It can be quite tempting to take a look at your long-awaited dinner but opening the door of the oven for just a moment can drop the temperature drastically.

As a result, your oven will have to expend extra energy to heat itself back up to the desired temperature. Using that handy oven light can be a way to check up on your food without having to open your oven door.

Another home energy-saving solution can be to turn off your oven at the very end of your cooking time. Your food will continue to cook but your oven won’t be using extra energy to keep itself at the maximum temperature. 

10.) Unplug your electronics when they’re not in use.

Having your computer or other electronics plugged in all day can drain excess energy and shorten your device's battery life so that you’ll need to have things plugged in more often. Simply unplugging things when they are fully charged can be a smart solution to save energy.

Do you have your cell phone plugged in all night long? Try charging it to 100% before you go to bed instead of keeping it charging all night as it only needs to be plugged in for an hour or so. This will help your battery's life expectancy.

Turning off monitors, printers, and speakers when they’re not in use can do wonders when it comes to lowering your electricity bill. 

In summary...

There are many home energy-saving solutions that you can put into practice in your daily life right away. They don’t have to cost a thing and can help you to start saving energy and money immediately.

In a world where things are becoming more and more automated it is good to practice being more conscious about how your daily habits can impact the world around you. Being mindful of these things is a great first step in the right direction. Making small changes is a great second step and you will already begin to notice the benefits of these choices.