- ENERGY STAR® qualified indoor light fixtures
- Outdoor umbrella stands or clothesline kits
- ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fans
- Power Bars with integrated timer or auto-shutoff
- Lighting or Appliance Controls hard wired
- Indoor motion sensors
- Indoor timers
- Dimmer switches
- ENERGY STAR qualified specialty CFL light bulbs
- Windows Blinds and Awnings
- Programmable Thermostats
- ENERGY STAR Qualified Window Air Conditioners
- ENERGY STAR Qualified Dehumidifiers
- Solar Powered Products
Fixtures come in hundreds of decorative styles designed for dining room, kitchen ceiling and under cabinet, hallway ceiling and wall, bathroom vanity fixtures, and more.
- Rebates can also be used for ENERGY STAR qualified T8 light fixtures (fixtures with the long fluorescent tubes).
- Check the wattage of the bulb and fixture you are replacing and choose a CFL that states that it is the equivalent of that wattage.
- Distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures.
- These fixtures have a two year warranty and use only one quarter the electricity of standard features.
- Check the fixture packaging to determine if the product is designed for use with dimmer switches or motion sensors.
In 2007 the Ontario government passed a law allowing the use of outdoor clotheslines in all neighbourhoods. They’re available in many different styles.
- Some are permanently installed (outdoor clothesline kits), while others are collapsible or removable (outdoor umbrella stands).
- Drying 2 loads of laundry per week on clotheslines rather than a dryer could save you 100kWh, or around $10 from May through September.
- In the summer, using outdoor clotheslines can reduce heat gain in the home and that means less work for your air conditioner.
- When using a clothesline you’re using solar and wind power!
- Many people believe line-dried clothes smell and feel better. And drying this way means less wear on clothes, so they will last longer.
ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fans can be equipped with energy efficient lighting, energy efficient motors, or both so be sure to check for the ENERGY STAR label.
- Installing ceiling fans help rooms feel cooler, instead of using an air conditioner, or as a supplement to your air conditioner allowing you to set the temperature up a few degrees.
- In the summer the blades should rotate to move the air down to help produce a cooling breeze. In the winter, air should be moved upwards towards the ceiling to disperse the warm air that tends to accumulate there giving you more even heat in the room.
- ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fans with light fixtures designed for CFLs distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures.
- ENERGY STAR ceiling fans carry a 2-year warranty, are about 50% more energy efficient and move air up to 20% more efficiently than conventional fan/light combinations.
- Determine if the lights in the ENERGY STAR ceiling fan are designed for use with dimmer switches or motion sensors by checking the packaging.
Power bars with built-in timers or with auto-shutoff allow customers to control when power is available for appliances.
- Ideally suited for computer workstations or home theatre systems, these power bars shut-off electricity to electronic products typically left on or in “stand-by” mode. Even in “stand-by” these electronic devices consume power, often referred to as “phantom power”. Devices such as power bars with timers or with auto-shutoff reduce phantom power.
- Power bars with timers allow you to automatically turn off electronics and appliances during the time of day in which they are unlikely to be used. For example, if a computer or home entertainment system is virtually never used between midnight and 5 pm, the power to them can be shut off entirely.
- By reducing this unnecessary power use (phantom power), you can save up to 15% on your monthly electricity bill.
- Power bars with auto-shutoff can detect when an electronic product (like a computer) goes into sleep mode. When this is detected, the power bar will shut down power to designated plugs it controls where devices like a monitor, speaker or printer are plugged in.
These devices replace your standard light switch and are directly wired to your light(s).
- Motion sensors are ideal for rooms where you may forget to turn off the lights and are ideal for kids’ play rooms or any location where the lights do not have to be on the time.
- Many can be programmed to determine the amount of time without motion before shutting off and also the sensitivity to light levels.
- It can also provide security, lighting up hallways and garages automatically.
- Although indoor motion sensors have a greater up-front cost than a traditional single-pole switch, the cost savings are immediate and long term.
- The indoor light switch timer allows the user to choose the amount of time to leave lights or fans on in a specific room. Some timers have the ability to be programmed to turn on and off intermittently for security purposes.
- These devices allow consumers to set appliances or lights to turn-on or shut-off at designated times. Not only does this save the user energy, it can also provide users added security as lights come on and off automatically; important when arriving home after dark or when on holiday.
- The rotary knob style allow you to turn the light on at the same intensity each time and the slide type starts the lights at the lowest level each time, possibly extending light bulb life.
- Dimmer switches allow you to vary the amount of light needed for a variety of tasks and save energy while doing it. A low level can be used when you only need ambient light and a higher level for task lighting. When the amount of light is reduced with a modern dimmer switch, the energy saved is almost as much as the light reduction.
- A dimmer that is about 30 years old reduces light by restricting the flow of electricity and just converts it into heat.
- Before installing the dimmer switch, check to see if the CFLs you are using are compatible with dimmers. If not, use that particular CFL elsewhere and buy one that is compatible with dimmers.
- ENERGY STAR qualified specialty compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Measure the length and width of your current light bulb and match the CFL as closely as possible to that.
- Specialty CFLs come in a variety of colours, such as soft white, warm white and cool white. If you’d like to maintain the yellow/orange light of an incandescent bulb, buy soft or warm CFLs, not cool white.
- Check the wattage of the bulb you are replacing and choose a CFL that states that it is the equivalent of that wattage. If you know the number of “lumens” created by your existing bulb, find a CFL with at least that number of lumens listed on the package.
- Replacing 5 standard incandescent light bulbs with CFLs will typically save you $30 per year on your electricity bill. They’ll pay for themselves in the first year, use up to 75% less electricity and lasts up to 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs.
- Since they do contain a small amount of mercury, check with your local municipal waste management office for the best way to dispose of used CFL bulbs.
- An excellent source of energy efficient lighting, CFLs aren’t suitable for all applications. Check the CFL packaging to see if the CFL you’re considering is designed for use with dimmer switches, motion sensors or timers (and if suitable for outdoor use).
- Shade any south and west-facing windows with awnings, solar screens, or leaf-bearing trees to help reflect heat away from the house.
- The greatest contributor to indoor heat in the summer, and the resulting air conditioning cost, is direct sunshine. Keep curtains on south- and west-facing windows closed during the day.
- A properly set programmable thermostat can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 10%.
- In the summer, set your central air conditioner for 25°C when you’re home and 28°C when you’re out for the day. For every degree your air conditioner is set below 24°C, you will use 3 to 5% more energy.
- In the winter, set your thermostat at 20°C when you’re home and 18°C when sleeping or out for the day. For every degree of night time setback you’ll use about 2% less energy.
- You may wish to install your thermostat in the room you spend the most time in but keep it away from exterior walls and windows to keep the temperature right for you, where you are.
- Installing and setting a programmable thermostat in each room for electric baseboard heaters could produce significant electricity savings.
- Newer ENERGY STAR qualified window air conditioning models are up to 70% more efficient than older models.
- Replace your older model room air conditioner with an ENERGY STAR qualified model and save up to 10% on your cooling bill.
- Set the thermostat at 25°C or higher. For every degree your air conditioner is set below 24°C, you’ll use 3 to 5% more energy. Turn it off when you’re not at home.
- Turn the temperature setting on your air conditioner up whenever possible to help reduce the strain on the electricity system during peak demand periods (noon to 8pm).
- Use fans as a cool alternative to air conditioning. Ceiling fan blades should rotate to move the air downward in the summer to help produce a cooling breeze. In the winter, air should be moved upwards towards the ceiling to disperse the warm air that tends to accumulate there and distribute more evenly in the room.
- Shade air conditioning outdoor units with trees on the south and west facing sides of the house to use up to 10% less electricity. Make sure you don't block air flow around the unit.
- Clean or replace your air conditioning filter monthly. Dirty filters can restrict air flow and reduce your system's efficiency.
- Newer ENERGY STAR qualified dehumidifiers use 10% to 20% less energy than conventional models but offer the same features – effective moisture removal, quiet operation and durability. The energy saved by an ENERGY STAR qualified dehumidifier could power your refrigerator for up to 6 months!
- Match the capacity of the dehumidifier to the area you need conditioned. They are usually recommended for specific square footage.
- Clean the coils regularly and make sure the windows are closed so that you are only dehumidifying the indoors.
- Empty the bucket frequently to ensure that the unit continues to work or arrange a hose to drain the water into a floor drain.
- On a hot, muggy day, dehumidifiers collect as much as 50 litres of water a day! High-capacity dehumidifiers (i.e., that have a water removal capacity greater than 35.5 to 87.5 litres per day) must have an energy factor of 2.50 or higher. The higher the energy factor, the lower your electricity bills!
- Solar technology offers a wise alternative source of energy that does not contribute to harmful emissions.
- A solar power system can completely provide for water heating or lighting needs or simply remove some of their energy burden. This reduces reliance on city power which in turn reduces energy bills.
