FACT SHEET: Energy Conservation Tips

EnWise Power Solutions is an environmental company built on the principles of sustainability and social responsibility. The company is committed to creating a culture of energy conservation and was established to focus its attention on the indisputable need to reduce energy consumption and harmful emissions that result.

There are a number of things that homeowners can do to help reduce their ecological footprint and do their part for the environment. EnWise has collected a number of energy conservation facts and statistics to help put energy consumption into perspective. The following tips are intended to encourage people to conserve energy and thereby save money and the environment.

Cooling / Air Conditioning

• A room air conditioner adds about 1 KWh per hour to a home’s energy usage. If it is left running for 24 hours, that will total about 24 KWh, doubling the average residential energy consumption.
• The cost to run a room air conditioner for 24 hours will average from $2 to $3 per day.
• A ceiling fan will cost about 15¢ a day.
• A portable fan about 30¢ a day.
• A central conditioner adds about 3.5 kWh per hour to a home’s energy consumption.
• If the unit runs for 24 hours, it will consume about 85 KWh, more than tripling the average residential daily energy consumption. The cost to run a central air conditioning unit for 24 hours will average $8 to $12 a day.
• An air conditioning thermostat set at 25°C or higher will use three to five per cent more energy for each degree that is set below 24°C (75°F), so set the thermostat at 25°C (77°F) to provide the most comfort at the least cost. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower one’s overall cooling bill.
• Replacing a ten year old air conditioner would amount to $60 to $80 in electrical savings per year.

Heating / Furnaces

• Using a programmable thermostat is the first step to controlling your heating costs and use.
• Moving the thermostat down just two degrees in winter and up two degrees in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of CO2 a year.
• Few household items provide as significant an energy savings, and return on investment, than an energy-efficient furnace. An energy-efficient furnace can save homeowners up to 25 per cent from their home-heating costs in just one year and reduce household greenhouse gases (GHGs) at the same time.
• When buying an energy-efficient furnace, look for a model with an energy-efficient fan motor that can save 20 to 50 per cent of the electricity needed to power a continuously operating fan motor.
• Every 1°C a thermostat is turned down over an eight hour period can amount to two per cent in savings. Average saving is $84 per year.
• If one in 10 households purchased an Energy Star furnace, 17 billion pounds of pollution would be prevented.
• When a 20-year-old furnace is replaced by a high efficiency furnace with an electronically commutated motor (ECM), a homeowner can expect to save over 40 per cent in energy or $600 per year.
• If the average sized home replaces a 63 per cent AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) furnace with a high efficiency furnace, the resulting savings would be over 93 per cent in energy or $480 per year.

Lighting

• Standard light bulbs lose 90 per cent of their energy as heat. New compact fluorescent (CFL) "spiral" bulbs are 75 per cent more efficient and fit in standard sockets.
• If everyone in Canada switched just one bulb in their home to a CFL, Canada would save over $73 million in energy costs that year alone.
• The average house has 27 lights:
• Each 60 watt light replaced by 15 watt CFL would amount to $13.14 per year in savings.
• Each 75 watt light replaced by 20 watt CFL would amount to $16.06 per year in savings.
• Each 100 watt light bulb replaced by 29 watt CFL would amount to $20.73 per year in savings.

Appliances and Electronics
Choose energy-efficient appliances. If one in 10 appliances were replaced by Energy Star appliances the resulting effect would be like planting 1.7 million acres of trees.

• Electronics:
• Using a power bar to turn off electronic equipment – televisions, DVD players, stereos and computers – when not in use will save thousands of pounds of CO2 a year.
• Refrigerators:
• Refrigerators are an energy-hogging home appliance. Replacing a 10-year-old refrigerator with a new Energy Star-approved model would save enough energy to light a home for more than three months and would save a homeowner an average of $120 per year.
• Beer Fridge. Don’t keep that old, inefficient refrigerator running in the basement for occasional refreshments. It could cost up to $150 or more per year in electricity.
• Washing Machines:
• A whopping 85 to 90 per cent of the energy used by washing machines is for heating the water. A lot of energy can be saved by lowering the water temperature.
• Energy Star clothes washers use one third less water, amounting to a savings of
• 50 per cent in energy and water consumption.
• Dishwashers:
• Today's dishwashers are about 95 per cent more energy efficient than those bought prior to 1972 - old dishwashers may be costing more money than buying a new one.
• Replacing a 10-year-old dishwasher would save an average of $30 per year in energy.
• Cooking:
• Using a microwave oven instead of a conventional oven can save up to 50 per cent of cooking energy costs.

Insulation, Caulking & Draft Proofing

• If all the “heat leaks” in an average Canadian home were combined, there would be a hole in the wall the size of a basketball. Proper weather stripping and caulking of doors and windows can reduce heating bills by 25 per cent.
• Home heating needs can be reduced by up to 20 per cent by eliminating drafts and leaks around the foundation, attic hatches, window air conditioners, doors, plumbing stacks, attic penetrations such as pot lights, and exterior penetrations such as the dryer exhaust, water pipes, and electrical and cable connections.
• Draft proofing the home will reduce energy bills by 15 to 20 per cent; just caulking windows and doors will save on the average of $60 per year.
• Up to 10 per cent or more can be saved on energy bills by reducing air leaks in the average home.
• Installing exterior or interior storm windows can reduce heat loss through windows by 25 or even 50 per cent.

Water
Showers:

• A low flow shower head saves as much as 60 per cent of the water used by a conventional fixture.
• Showers save hot water – a typical bath uses approximately 75 litres of hot water, while a five-minute shower with an efficient showerhead will use about half of that amount.

Toilets:

• A low-flow toilet uses six litres or less of water and can save up to 10 litres per flush.

Water Heater:

• On average, water heaters use the most energy in the home after heating. A 175-litre tank can use up to 5000 kWh per year, which amounts to almost $500 at today’s prices.
• Replacing a standard hot water tank with an instant hot water on demand system can reduce hot water heating by up to 50 per cent

Water Usage:

• Toilet flush: 6 to 30 litres per flush.
• Showering: 5.7 to 18.9 litres per minute.
• Bathtub: 115 to 190 litres per full tub.
• Washing machine: 170 to 190 litres per cycle.
• Dishwasher: 40 to 55 litres per cycle.
• Kitchen faucet: 7.6 to 11.3 litres per minute.
• Bathroom faucet: 7.6 to 11.3 litres per minute.