Monday, October 29, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
OK, I m almost over the Hydro Bill shock so this will be the last tip for energy saving......for now anyway.
1. Cooking Inefficient cooking practices can be a huge energy waster! Be a bit more conservative by keeping a lid on pots while boiling and simmering. Use the toaster oven rather than the electric oven when cooking small items, and choose a hand-held blender over a food processor whenever possible. Thaw frozen food completely to save on cooking time, and be sure to keep your oven door closed as much as possible. Peeking inside can cause as much as 20 per cent of the heat to escape – meaning your oven has to work hard to heat itself up again!
2. Food Storage Stop opening the fridge or freezer just to peek inside and decide what you feel like munching on! Also, don’t overstuff your freezer. This affects the efficiency of the appliance. Finally, clean the cooling coils on your refrigerator regularly to ensure they always perform well. 3. Dishwashers Always load your dishwasher correctly to ensure each dish is cleaned properly. And forget about rinsing dishes thoroughly before putting them in the machine – that’s what the dishwasher is for, so scrape, don’t rinse!....OK SO I M NOT LAZY- here all along I have been efficient!!! Only wash full loads and always use the shortest wash cycle. And air dry dishes rather than using your dishwasher’s wasteful drying cycle.
4. Laundry Wash and rinse clothes in cold water whenever possible – for this purpose, try investing in a detergent designed for cold water washes. Presoak heavily soiled garments rather than running them through the heavy duty wash setting. And don’t use too much detergent. This only causes the machine to have to work harder. Finally, don’t overload the dryer, and, when possible, air dry clothes, towels, sheets and comforters on an outdoor line.
5. Air Conditioning few carefully placed fans can create an impressive cross-breeze that can feel even better than AC on a warm day. Also try keeping curtains and shades closed on hot and sunny days and always ensure that the ‘fresh air’ vent on your machine is closed. If it isn’t, you’re likely wasting money cooling down outside air. Finally, always make sure your outdoor air conditioning unit is kept free of leaves and debris and clean the filter regularly.
6. Heating It’s not always necessary to crank the heat in winter – sometimes an extra blanket or a cozy sweatshirt works just as well, and it’s free! Always remember to keep basement, attic and garage doors closed, and try using a ceiling fan on low speed to spread heat evenly around a room. Use programmable thermostats to help regulate heat when you’re not home.
7. Lighting Open blinds or shades during the day rather than turning on lights. Make the switch to fluorescent bulbs, which use much less energy then traditional incandescent bulbs and last six times longer. Place lamps in the corners of rooms to ensure more even light distribution, and consider installing ‘task’ lighting in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.
8. Water Hot baths and long showers certainly are luxurious, but when attempting to cut back on that hydro bill, they can be a real drain. Reduce time spent in the tub and also install low-flow showerheads and hot water heater timers. Finally, buy an insulating cover for your water heater and pipes.
9. Insulation Heat loss due to poor insulation is a major contributor to wasted energy. Ensure floors, walls and roof are properly insulated. If you find areas in your home that are lacking, call in a professional to blow in insulation or do the job yourself with fiberglass bats. Seal gaps and cracks in windows and doors with caulking and weather-stripping, too.
10. Computers Turn down the brightness on your monitor, and always remember to turn off your computer when not in use. Shut down other equipment, such as printers, too, rather than leaving them to run unattended. Set all household computers to enter ‘sleep mode’ after a few minutes of lying dormant. And try replacing energy wasting CRT monitors with new LCD monitors.
1. Cooking Inefficient cooking practices can be a huge energy waster! Be a bit more conservative by keeping a lid on pots while boiling and simmering. Use the toaster oven rather than the electric oven when cooking small items, and choose a hand-held blender over a food processor whenever possible. Thaw frozen food completely to save on cooking time, and be sure to keep your oven door closed as much as possible. Peeking inside can cause as much as 20 per cent of the heat to escape – meaning your oven has to work hard to heat itself up again!
2. Food Storage Stop opening the fridge or freezer just to peek inside and decide what you feel like munching on! Also, don’t overstuff your freezer. This affects the efficiency of the appliance. Finally, clean the cooling coils on your refrigerator regularly to ensure they always perform well. 3. Dishwashers Always load your dishwasher correctly to ensure each dish is cleaned properly. And forget about rinsing dishes thoroughly before putting them in the machine – that’s what the dishwasher is for, so scrape, don’t rinse!....OK SO I M NOT LAZY- here all along I have been efficient!!! Only wash full loads and always use the shortest wash cycle. And air dry dishes rather than using your dishwasher’s wasteful drying cycle.
4. Laundry Wash and rinse clothes in cold water whenever possible – for this purpose, try investing in a detergent designed for cold water washes. Presoak heavily soiled garments rather than running them through the heavy duty wash setting. And don’t use too much detergent. This only causes the machine to have to work harder. Finally, don’t overload the dryer, and, when possible, air dry clothes, towels, sheets and comforters on an outdoor line.
5. Air Conditioning few carefully placed fans can create an impressive cross-breeze that can feel even better than AC on a warm day. Also try keeping curtains and shades closed on hot and sunny days and always ensure that the ‘fresh air’ vent on your machine is closed. If it isn’t, you’re likely wasting money cooling down outside air. Finally, always make sure your outdoor air conditioning unit is kept free of leaves and debris and clean the filter regularly.
6. Heating It’s not always necessary to crank the heat in winter – sometimes an extra blanket or a cozy sweatshirt works just as well, and it’s free! Always remember to keep basement, attic and garage doors closed, and try using a ceiling fan on low speed to spread heat evenly around a room. Use programmable thermostats to help regulate heat when you’re not home.
7. Lighting Open blinds or shades during the day rather than turning on lights. Make the switch to fluorescent bulbs, which use much less energy then traditional incandescent bulbs and last six times longer. Place lamps in the corners of rooms to ensure more even light distribution, and consider installing ‘task’ lighting in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.
8. Water Hot baths and long showers certainly are luxurious, but when attempting to cut back on that hydro bill, they can be a real drain. Reduce time spent in the tub and also install low-flow showerheads and hot water heater timers. Finally, buy an insulating cover for your water heater and pipes.
9. Insulation Heat loss due to poor insulation is a major contributor to wasted energy. Ensure floors, walls and roof are properly insulated. If you find areas in your home that are lacking, call in a professional to blow in insulation or do the job yourself with fiberglass bats. Seal gaps and cracks in windows and doors with caulking and weather-stripping, too.
10. Computers Turn down the brightness on your monitor, and always remember to turn off your computer when not in use. Shut down other equipment, such as printers, too, rather than leaving them to run unattended. Set all household computers to enter ‘sleep mode’ after a few minutes of lying dormant. And try replacing energy wasting CRT monitors with new LCD monitors.
Living green is easy—and cheap! So if you want to lower your hydro bill and contribute to the health of the environment, read on!
1. Cooking Inefficient cooking practices can be a huge energy waster! Be a bit more conservative by keeping a lid on pots while boiling and simmering. Use the toaster oven rather than the electric oven when cooking small items, and choose a hand-held blender over a food processor whenever possible. Thaw frozen food completely to save on cooking time, and be sure to keep your oven door closed as much as possible. Peeking inside can cause as much as 20 per cent of the heat to escape – meaning your oven has to work hard to heat itself up again!
2. Food Storage Stop opening the fridge or freezer just to peek inside and decide what you feel like munching on! Also, don’t overstuff your freezer. This affects the efficiency of the appliance. Finally, clean the cooling coils on your refrigerator regularly to ensure they always perform well.
3. Dishwashers Always load your dishwasher correctly to ensure each dish is cleaned properly. And forget about rinsing dishes thoroughly before putting them in the machine – that’s what the dishwasher is for, so scrape, don’t rinse! Only wash full loads and always use the shortest wash cycle. And air dry dishes rather than using your dishwasher’s wasteful drying cycle.
4. Laundry Wash and rinse clothes in cold water whenever possible – for this purpose, try investing in a detergent designed for cold water washes. Presoak heavily soiled garments rather than running them through the heavy duty wash setting. And don’t use too much detergent. This only causes the machine to have to work harder. Finally, don’t overload the dryer, and, when possible, air dry clothes, towels, sheets and comforters on an outdoor line.
5. Air Conditioning few carefully placed fans can create an impressive cross-breeze that can feel even better than AC on a warm day. Also try keeping curtains and shades closed on hot and sunny days and always ensure that the ‘fresh air’ vent on your machine is closed. If it isn’t, you’re likely wasting money cooling down outside air. Finally, always make sure your outdoor air conditioning unit is kept free of leaves and debris and clean the filter regularly.
6. Heating It’s not always necessary to crank the heat in winter – sometimes an extra blanket or a cozy sweatshirt works just as well, and it’s free! Always remember to keep basement, attic and garage doors closed, and try using a ceiling fan on low speed to spread heat evenly around a room. Use programmable thermostats to help regulate heat when you’re not home.
7. Lighting Open blinds or shades during the day rather than turning on lights. Make the switch to fluorescent bulbs, which use much less energy then traditional incandescent bulbs and last six times longer. Place lamps in the corners of rooms to ensure more even light distribution, and consider installing ‘task’ lighting in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.
8. Water Hot baths and long showers certainly are luxurious, but when attempting to cut back on that hydro bill, they can be a real drain. Reduce time spent in the tub and also install low-flow showerheads and hot water heater timers. Finally, buy an insulating cover for your water heater and pipes.
9. Insulation Heat loss due to poor insulation is a major contributor to wasted energy. Ensure floors, walls and roof are properly insulated. If you find areas in your home that are lacking, call in a professional to blow in insulation or do the job yourself with fiberglass bats. Seal gaps and cracks in windows and doors with caulking and weather-stripping, too.
10. ComputersTurn down the brightness on your monitor, and always remember to turn off your computer when not in use. Shut down other equipment, such as printers, too, rather than leaving them to run unattended. Set all household computers to enter ‘sleep mode’ after a few minutes of lying dormant. And try replacing energy wasting CRT monitors with new LCD monitors.
1. Cooking Inefficient cooking practices can be a huge energy waster! Be a bit more conservative by keeping a lid on pots while boiling and simmering. Use the toaster oven rather than the electric oven when cooking small items, and choose a hand-held blender over a food processor whenever possible. Thaw frozen food completely to save on cooking time, and be sure to keep your oven door closed as much as possible. Peeking inside can cause as much as 20 per cent of the heat to escape – meaning your oven has to work hard to heat itself up again!
2. Food Storage Stop opening the fridge or freezer just to peek inside and decide what you feel like munching on! Also, don’t overstuff your freezer. This affects the efficiency of the appliance. Finally, clean the cooling coils on your refrigerator regularly to ensure they always perform well.
3. Dishwashers Always load your dishwasher correctly to ensure each dish is cleaned properly. And forget about rinsing dishes thoroughly before putting them in the machine – that’s what the dishwasher is for, so scrape, don’t rinse! Only wash full loads and always use the shortest wash cycle. And air dry dishes rather than using your dishwasher’s wasteful drying cycle.
4. Laundry Wash and rinse clothes in cold water whenever possible – for this purpose, try investing in a detergent designed for cold water washes. Presoak heavily soiled garments rather than running them through the heavy duty wash setting. And don’t use too much detergent. This only causes the machine to have to work harder. Finally, don’t overload the dryer, and, when possible, air dry clothes, towels, sheets and comforters on an outdoor line.
5. Air Conditioning few carefully placed fans can create an impressive cross-breeze that can feel even better than AC on a warm day. Also try keeping curtains and shades closed on hot and sunny days and always ensure that the ‘fresh air’ vent on your machine is closed. If it isn’t, you’re likely wasting money cooling down outside air. Finally, always make sure your outdoor air conditioning unit is kept free of leaves and debris and clean the filter regularly.
6. Heating It’s not always necessary to crank the heat in winter – sometimes an extra blanket or a cozy sweatshirt works just as well, and it’s free! Always remember to keep basement, attic and garage doors closed, and try using a ceiling fan on low speed to spread heat evenly around a room. Use programmable thermostats to help regulate heat when you’re not home.
7. Lighting Open blinds or shades during the day rather than turning on lights. Make the switch to fluorescent bulbs, which use much less energy then traditional incandescent bulbs and last six times longer. Place lamps in the corners of rooms to ensure more even light distribution, and consider installing ‘task’ lighting in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.
8. Water Hot baths and long showers certainly are luxurious, but when attempting to cut back on that hydro bill, they can be a real drain. Reduce time spent in the tub and also install low-flow showerheads and hot water heater timers. Finally, buy an insulating cover for your water heater and pipes.
9. Insulation Heat loss due to poor insulation is a major contributor to wasted energy. Ensure floors, walls and roof are properly insulated. If you find areas in your home that are lacking, call in a professional to blow in insulation or do the job yourself with fiberglass bats. Seal gaps and cracks in windows and doors with caulking and weather-stripping, too.
10. ComputersTurn down the brightness on your monitor, and always remember to turn off your computer when not in use. Shut down other equipment, such as printers, too, rather than leaving them to run unattended. Set all household computers to enter ‘sleep mode’ after a few minutes of lying dormant. And try replacing energy wasting CRT monitors with new LCD monitors.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Energy saving tips!
Here are few more simple energy saving tips, hopefully you can trim a little bit off your energy use.......and your bill!
• Be sure to use the vacation setting or turn off the water heater when you are
out of town.
• Fix leaky faucets – that little drip can add up to 95 litres of water per
faucet per month, and cost you 7 kWh per month.
• Installing low flow aerators on faucets can save water and energy.
• Drain a pail of water from your natural gas hot water tank every 3 months, or
as Recommended by the manufacturer, to remove sediment that prevents heat
transfer, lowering the unit’s efficiency. (I can add this to my Honey do list! Look like he has another thing to do on his list for this weekend, surely this can be done between the NHL playoff games that are constantly on our TV these past few weeks! There is another energy saving tip I will bring up soon, turning off the TV!!!)
Hope you have a GREAT WEEKEND!
• Be sure to use the vacation setting or turn off the water heater when you are
out of town.
• Fix leaky faucets – that little drip can add up to 95 litres of water per
faucet per month, and cost you 7 kWh per month.
• Installing low flow aerators on faucets can save water and energy.
• Drain a pail of water from your natural gas hot water tank every 3 months, or
as Recommended by the manufacturer, to remove sediment that prevents heat
transfer, lowering the unit’s efficiency. (I can add this to my Honey do list! Look like he has another thing to do on his list for this weekend, surely this can be done between the NHL playoff games that are constantly on our TV these past few weeks! There is another energy saving tip I will bring up soon, turning off the TV!!!)
Hope you have a GREAT WEEKEND!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Saving Money
Wow every time I open my mail, (and it is often a bill....a utility bill) I think WHEN will these go down instead of up and up!
Here is a tip for saving on heating and energy costs.
Install a programmable thermostat with a built-in timer. You can set it to lower the heat by a few degrees at night and when you are away, or turn off off the AC when you leave for the day. Contrary to popular belief, this method uses
less electricity than having the AC constantly maintain a cool temperature! Your savings can easily pay for the cost of the
thermostat (as little as $50) in the first year by varying the temperature just a few degrees at night or when you are away.
Just think of the savings over 5 or 10 years!
Plus I find the temptation to turn it up just 1 degree is gone, knowing it will lower its self when I go away and turn up about a 1/2 hr before I get home or get up.
Its a little thing, but all little things can add up!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Check out this new listing! http://www.quintehousehunting.com/Quinte_West/Ontario/Homes/Trenton/Agent/Listing_56736483.html
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