Conservation inside your home

Discover handy conservation tips for your family room and home office.

Your family room

• When buying new electronics, look for the ones with Energy Star ratings.
• Use a power bar to plug in multiple electronic devices so they can easily be switched off all at once.
• Check the owner's manual to ensure rechargeable devices are not plugged in for longer than they need.
• Unplug all electronics when you're not using them for extended periods of time. Not only does this save energy, but it also protects your devices from power surges.

Your home office

• Turn off your computer, accessories (speakers, etc.) and printer when not in use. Even in sleep mode, they still draw power. Switching your computer on and off will have no significant effect on its operation or lifespan.
• Choose a computer with power-management options. Power-down features can significantly reduce electricity use.
• Turn off your monitor, even if you are only away from it for short periods of time. Screen savers don't reduce energy consumption.
• Use a laptop. A typical laptop has a consumption of 15 watts, compared to 80-160 watts for desktop computers, and many power down after short periods of inactivity.

Natural light

Play up the natural light in your rooms with window treatments that maximize, not block, the light. Install sky lights, or consider using solar tube day lighting in rooms with easy access to the roof. Solar tubing uses reflective tubes to bring daylight into rooms with no windows.

Decor

Remember the impact that colour can have on your lighting choices. White walls and ceilings reflect more light than dark walls and ceilings. Therefore, the darker your decor, the more light you will need in the room.

More light for your money: Consider placing floor and table lamps in the corners of your rooms, as the light will bounce off of two walls rather than just one.

Light bulbs

The light bulbs you choose make a huge difference in the energy you use. Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and LEDs. Here's why:

• CFL and LED bulbs deliver the same output as incandescent bulbs but use significantly less energy.
• 90% of the energy incandescent bulbs use is lost as heat. CFLs and LEDs are cooler and more of the energy they use goes toward producing light.

Dimmers, timers and sensors

• Dimmers help you to save energy and add a variety of light levels to your rooms. Look for dimmers that allow a full range of light levels.
• Make sure the light bulbs you use are not brighter than you need and that they're rated to function with dimmers (not all light bulbs are compatible with dimmers).
• Replace your ordinary wall switches with hi/low switches, but make sure these switches don't use resistors, or you won't save energy.
• Install timers or motion sensors to turn your lights off when a room is unoccupied.

Household tips

• Turn your lights off when they're not in use to save energy and lamp life.
• Clean your bulbs and fixtures. Dust and dirt reduce light levels.
• When cleaning, turn the fixture off or unplug it to prevent shock.
• Avoid having too many lights controlled by a single switch as you may use more lights than you need. Your light switches should be visible and easily accessible so they're easy to turn off.

Holiday lights

• Switch your incandescent light strings to LEDs to save money on your energy bill.
• LEDs use 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and don't get hot.
• The amount of energy consumed by just one seven-watt incandescent bulb is equal to 140 LEDs (more than 14m of lights).
• Only turn on indoor lights and Christmas trees when you're in the same room.

Hot water tank

Not all hot water tanks are created equal. When shopping for a new tank, here are some things to look for:

• Choose a high-efficiency water tank.
• Choose the electronic ignition option instead of a traditional pilot light for greater efficiency and safety.
• Consider a tank with an automatic vent damper to reduce convection up the exhaust stack.
• When designing your house or garage, place your hot water tank (and mechanical room) as close to the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms as possible to avoid heat loss through your pipes.