Powering your home isn’t cheap. Especially during the winter months in Saskatchewan, where winter seems to last 8 months out of the year. However there is some ways to save money on electricity in the winter.
1) LED Light Bulbs
This is one that I recommend to people almost on a daily basis. Changing your light bulbs to LED can have a big impact on power savings. Some brands of LED bulbs like Philips or Sylvania use up to 80% less power than a standard incandescent bulb. They are a little more expensive up front, but they last so much longer than an incandescent bulb and they save more money over their lifetime.
2) Turn Off The Lights
This one seems simple, but remembering to shut off lights when they aren’t needed is a good way to save power. Leaving lights on in the other room, or forgetting to shut off the lights in the garage may seem insignificant but it’s little things that add up.
3) Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats save on power by not heating the home while no one is around. They have sensors that can automatically determine when no one is at home. They can also be set manually from your smart phone anywhere in the world! Most also have a economy mode that uses machine learning to keep the temperature lower and help you save money.
4) Wear A Bunnyhug (Hoodie) At Home
If you need to save a few bucks on the power bill, setting the temperature a couple degrees colder and dressing warmer will make a big difference. You may not be able to stroll around the house in shorts and a t-shirt, but wearing sweatpants and a bunnyhug when the temperature is lower will definitely save money.
5) Eliminate Dust And Replace Filters
Make sure your furnace doesn’t have to work harder than necessary. Vacuuming and cleaning up dust throughout your home will prevent your furnace filter getting dirty and clogged. Remember to clean and replace your filter regularly.
6) Dimmer Switches
Using dimmer switches on your lights can also help to save power. If you don’t need your lights on full brightness, you can use a dimmer switch to reduce their output and save on power. Keep in mind that not all bulbs are dimmable but you can pick some up at your local Electrical Wholesale or Home Depot.
7.) Water Heater
Water heaters can use up quite a bit of power. Here are some ways to reduce the amount of power your water heater uses:
- Washing laundry with cold water instead of hot water.
- Check what your water heater temperature setting. If it’s set at the highest possible, it’s
going to be working hard to keep water at that temperature. By lowering it a little bit you will
still have hot water and your water heater won’t be working so hard.
8.) Sunshine
If it’s sunny outside, let that sunshine in. It’s
essentially FREE heat! By opening the blinds and curtains throughout the afternoon when its sunny, the sun will shine in and heat the room so your furnace won’t have to.
9.) High Efficiency Appliances
Older appliances aren’t the energy saving appliances that are being sold today. Now going out and buying all new energy efficient appliances is not exactly the cheapest option available. However, if you’re replacing an appliance or a couple appliances, consider choosing a newer energy efficient model. They may not be the cheapest option in the store, but over the course of their lifetime, the amount of energy they save you will more than make up for it.
10.) Fridge And Freezer Temperature
Adjusting your fridge and freezer temperature slightly will allow you food to still stay fresh and frozen, but will also reduce the power required to maintain that temperature. Also, consider letting food cool down before putting it into the fridge. If warm food goes into the fridge it raises the temperature inside and the fridge is going to have to work harder to keep the temperature cool.
