Quick & Easy Ways to Save On Energy - Homestead Custom Carpentry

Winter in Alberta can be magical.

There’s ice skating, warm nights by the fire, sledding with the kids – and much more. Unfortunately, we all know there are drawbacks to our long, chilly and ‘magical’ winter months. One being, the spike in our monthly energy bills. By making your home a little more energy efficient, you can avoid those outrageous utility bills.

Contrary to popular belief, making your home more energy efficient doesn’t have to mean a huge home renovation. There are lots of quick and easy things you can to increase your home’s energy efficiency and save on energy. Whether you hate winter or love it, this list of energy-bill saving suggestions will make the season that much more enjoyable.

LED Lights

Compared to incandescent lights, LED lights use 80% less energy and last up to 25 times longer.
LED is an extremely energy efficient lighting technology. Widespread use of LED lighting has the greatest potential impact on energy savings in Canada! If you don’t want to switch all your lights, consider just replacing the lights in the highest traffic areas of your home. Like your kitchen or living room.

Faucet Aerators

Using a faucet aerator can decrease the flow of water from your tap from about 20 litres/minute to 2 litres or less/minute!

Faucet aerators are one of the most cost-effective solutions to improve your rate of water conservation. These are simple screens that you attach to the bottom part of your faucet. They work by reducing the rate of the flow of water, therefore reducing the amount of water you use. They work effectively – without changing the functionality of your faucet! These little devices are your energy efficiency superheroes – they are inexpensive, easy to install and extremely effective in helping you save on energy.

Low-Flow Shower Heads

Low-flow shower heads can decrease water consumption by 40% or more. This can result in total water and energy savings of 60-90$ per year.

In the average home, showering accounts for 20-30% of household water usage. As a result, the shower is a great place to start to make a large impact on your overall hydro costs. Now, you might think low-flow means low-pressure – it doesn’t! The technology behind these devices has advanced greatly over the last few years. Now, you can have both an energy efficient and enjoyable shower. With the amount of water you save, a low-flow showerhead will likely pay for itself within a year of use!

ENERGY STAR Appliances

ENERGY STAR certified washing machines use about 50% of the water that regular washers use!

This one is a bit of an investment – especially if your existing appliances are still in working order. But, if you’re in the process of a home renovation or new build, this is the perfect time to choose appliances that save on energy and will save you money in the long run! When choosing the right appliances, be sure to check the EnerGuide label to find the annual energy consumption and select one that uses the least amount of energy overall. You can use this calculator to find out the lifetime cost of an appliance by using its EnerGuide rating and the cost of electricity in your province. Energy efficient appliances not only result in savings on your utilities, but they can add a lot of value to your home.

There are so many simple ways to make your home more energy efficient without breaking the bank. Although, things like energy efficient appliances can feel like a big investment. These changes may seem more expensive in the short-term. However, often the long-term energy consumption price of regular appliances is significantly more expensive than the energy efficient models. If you are still concerned about the cost of implementing energy efficient changes, Energy Efficient Alberta offers a Residential Retail Products Program where they provide rebates to homeowners who make energy-saving home improvements.

If you are interested in seeing more ways to make your home more energy efficient and how you can save on energy, check out this home efficiency tool.

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