Shine OnCelebrate National Sweater Day and cut your home energy costs
Cut your home energy costs by celebrating the fourth annual National Sweater Day on Thursday, February 6. National sweater day is a WWF-Canada-wide initiative that encourages Canadians across the country to put on a fun sweater and turn down their thermostats by two degrees Celsius in order to show their support for energy conservation and action on climate change.
This year, WWF will knit a virtual sweater piece by piece in real-time on Sweaterday.ca every time a #SweaterDay #selfie is uploaded on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus using the hashtags.
Not only will you be supporting a great cause, but you can put some cash back in your pocket as well! Check out these other great ideas to cut your home energy costs this year.
1) Turn down the thermostat
“If all Canadians lowered their thermostats by just 2 degrees Celsius this winter, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about four megatons – equivalent to shutting down a 600 mega watt (or average) coal-fired power station – while helping families save about 13% on their energy bills,” says David Miller, President and CEO, WWF-Canada. “National Sweater Day is a chance for us to rethink our energy use and how we can all play an important role in fighting climate change by conserving energy.”
2) Seal up leaks
Heating your home can be one of the biggest monthly costs on your budget. Energy-efficient windows and doors can help hold the heat in and keep the cold out. Even if you can’t afford to replace your windows, you can seal any leaks and keep out drafts fairly cheaply with the use of foam weatherstripping and silicone caulking.
3) Get a home energy audit
Getting a home energy audit can help you identify retrofit options and other upgrades you can make to help lower your energy consumption.
Miller says that retrofit programs in Germany, including high energy efficiency standards as well as subsidies, have resulted in more than 300,000 apartment buildings being retrofitted every year. “In Berlin alone, energy efficiency has improved by 26%!” he says.
Some retrofits that can save you big include insulating walls, roofs and floors; replacing windows; and installing a ventilation system that recovers heat. In fact, the WWF found that the world could cut global heating needs by 60% simply through improved insulation.
“Do some research into what is available in your area in terms of tax incentives, special funds to drive retrofit investments, on-bill financing through utilities, and making free energy audits widely available,” advises Miller. “Local electrical utilities and municipal environment offices across the country are also good places to look for help.”
This national directory is a great place to start.
4) Unplug unused appliances
Even when your appliances aren’t in use, they’re still sucking little bits of power. This ‘vampire power’ from TVs, DVD players, stereos and computers accounts for 10 to 60 per cent of power usage even when on stand-by mode, notes Miller.
“Some appliances, like digital set top boxes, cost nearly as much to run in stand-by mode as when they are switched on,” he says.
You can reduce unnecessary energy use by using a power strip in multi-device areas like your home theatre or office that can easily turn on/off several items at once, turning off your computer at the end of the day and unplugging any charging devices when not in use.
5) Install low-flow aerators
You can cut your water consumption by quite a bit by installing low-flow aerators on your taps and shower head. “Low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can reduce your home water consumption as much as 50%, and reduce your energy cost of heating the water also by as much as 50%,” writes EarthEasy.com.
6) Change your bulbs
As WWF research found, Canadians could save $138-billion per year on the cost of lighting simply by upgrading technology. This means installing energy-efficient CFL or LED bulbs in homes and offices. These bulbs last longer and have a lower environmental impact than traditional incandescent light bulbs.
7) Park your car
The majority of Canada’s current carbon emissions come from transportation. Parking your vehicle and walking, cycling or taking public transit can help cut pollution. According to WWF research, if every Canadian avoided driving for one day per month, it would be the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road per year.
