If you live in Canada, then the electricity rates in Calgary are a major concern, especially during the long winter season. However, there are good ways to reduce your energy consumption so that you can save money along with continuing to have a comfortable daily life. Learn more about being energy efficient with these tips that are recommended by other people who live in cold regions.
Tip 1: Maintain a Building’s Heating Equipment
It is essential to maintain a building’s heating equipment by changing the air filters in a furnace along with keeping the components cleaner. You can do this by turning off the furnace before dusting the mechanisms and replacing the filters at least once a month. Make sure that you aren’t blocking the furnace with piles of junk, and also, you should walk through your home to verify that the vents aren’t covered with furniture, rugs or long drapes.
Tip 2: Check Your Home’s Windows and Doors
Check your home’s windows to confirm that the items are closed and locked to prevent cold drafts. You can also seal the crevices around windows to keep your home warmer, helping to reduce the use of electricity. There is also plastic film that you can install over a home’s windows so that the cold air won’t enter a building. While shopping for the plastic film, you should also buy adhesive insulating strips to fasten to the doors and doorframes of your home.
Tip 3: Turn Off Unneeded Appliances and Electronics
To reduce the usage of electricity in a home, walk from room to room while looking for any appliances or electronics that are still plugged into a wall outlet. You may have guest bedrooms with televisions or alarm clocks that are plugged into the walls, but if no one is using the rooms, then it is better to unplug these items from the outlet. In your kitchen, you may leave small appliances plugged into the outlets, and this can also waste electricity because the devices may use energy for the lighted buttons on the items.
Tip 4: Use Modern Light Bulbs in Every Light Fixture
During the winter, the days are shorter, so this means that you will use lamps more than during the other seasons. Replace old-fashioned light bulbs with modern bulbs that are more energy-efficient so that you can save money. While these bulbs cost more at the store, the items are made to last longer.
Consider Using Other Types of Energy in a Home
There are alternative ways to have power in a home for your heating equipment, appliances and other devices. You can switch to natural gas water heaters, or you can install a natural gas furnace that costs less to operate. Today, it is also possible to have solar panels on the roof of your home to capture the energy from the sunlight. If you have a fireplace in your home, then have it cleaned and repaired so that you can burn wood to heat your home.
Additional Ways to Reduce Energy Usage
There are additional ways to reduce the energy usage in your home this winter, including closing off some of the rooms that you don’t need to use. Make sure to have heavy draperies over the windows in your home to keep it warmer so that you won’t need to have the furnace operating as much as before. While washing clothing in a washing machine, use only cold water so that you won’t need to pay as much to heat the water in a water heater. Rather than drying laundry in an electric dryer, hang items on a portable clothing rack or other device so that the items will dry naturally.
Check Your Electric Company’s Rates
Check the electricity rates in Calgary to determine what time of the day or night has the least expensive rates. This is when you will want to use appliances, such as dishwashers, dryers or washing machines. If you need to use a computer or office equipment, then you can save money by working on your school or work projects during these less expensive times.