With recent colder temperatures and long nights as winter truly gets underway, Albertans may be finding themselves checking their thermostats and watching their energy use more closely in the weeks and months to come.
According to a representative from ENMAX, for every 10-degree drop below zero degrees Celsius, the average home uses 40 per cent more natural gas and eight per cent more electricity.
That’s why ENMAX posts some of its best energy saving tips on the energy utility company’s website at this time of year. If people are looking for recommendations specific to their home, there are companies that offer a home energy efficiency report to identify opportunities to reduce their energy use during the coldest months of the year.
To save on the natural gas bill, ENMAX suggests not oversetting the thermostat on cold days. “Heating accounts for 63 per cent of home energy use – and even a difference of two degrees can add up,” the website states.
Taking advantage of the natural heat from the sun is a great way to ease up on the furnace, especially with Alberta’s towns and cities ranking amongst the sunniest in Canada. ENMAX suggests opening the blinds and curtains during the day to let the heat in, and closing them at night to keep the heat from escaping.
While Alberta can feel extremely dry during the winter months, people should be careful if they choose to crank up the humidity inside as the moisture draws heat away from the body, making it feel colder.
“If you use a humidifier, keep humidity between 30 to 40 per cent – which should keep you comfortable, without making you reach for the thermostat to deal with a chill,” states the ENMAX website.
Instead of cranking up the humidifiers, use the dry air as an advantage to save electricity costs on drying dishes. ENMAX recommends turning off the heat dry function on the dishwasher and opening the door after a wash cycle to let the dishes air dry instead. According to ENMAX, doing this can cut dishwasher energy use 15 to 50 per cent, depending on the machine.
Older homes develop gaps and let in cold air, but sealing up areas around windows, or adding weather-stripping around exterior doors, can help save up to 30 per cent on heating use, according to ENMAX. Adding gaskets to electrical outlets, stopping chimney drafts, or sealing dryer and fan vents can help even more.
In terms of electricity savings, people are encouraged to use cold water for laundry, unplug electronics that aren’t being used, and select different light bulbs for different areas. Lighting can account for up to 10 per cent of electricity costs, according to ENMAX.
EnergyStar®-certified LED bulbs use 90 per cent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, stated the ENMAX tip sheet. Replace old bulbs with LEDs that use less power and last 15 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
When doing the laundry, not only is switching to cold water more electricity-efficient, but hanging laundry to dry or throwing a dry towel in the dryer along with wet clothes will help them dry faster, the tip sheet read.
The tip sheet also stated that standby power for plugged-in electronics can add up to five to 10 per cent of an average home’s electricity use.
Due to the changes in energy usage during the winter, ENMAX cautions that homeowners and renters will likely see some changes on their bills starting this month.
According to ENMAX, floating rate prices are influenced by demand. When there is more electricity or natural gas usage, like in winter, the floating rate can go up.
With more people working and studying from home, it only takes a couple of small changes to see that energy use bump up. Plan for these changes by taking extra steps and reading the ENMAX Winter Energy Saving Tips at enmax.com/home/energy-saving-tips