EnergyAn

ConservationBooklet

EnergyConservationBooklet

Featuring Conserver Joewith his helpful Energy Tips.

An

2

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9 - 10

Page 11

Page 12

Page 13

Page 14

Page 15

........................... An Introduction

............................................Spring

........................................Summer

.................................................Fall

...........................................Winter

...................................Year Round

....................................Appliances

................Appliance Usage Chart

.........................................Lighting

....................................Electronics

.............Vacation/Extended Leave

...........................Resources/Links

3

For a lot of good reasons, including reducing your electricity bill, youwant to reduce your energy consumption but you're not sure how to goabout doing it so that it actually makes a difference.

That's what this energy conservation booklet is all about.

It has been designed by your local utility as a handy, easy to follow,guide to saving energy year round at your home or apartment. Thebooklet contains season by season tips on making your residence moreenergy efficient, information on energy efficient lighting, appliancesand electronics, and even some ways you can save money on energywhile you are on vacation. The energy saving facts and figures that arepresented throughout the booklet are calculated based on an averagetotal electricity rate of $0.08 per kWh. Individual results may vary.

Your local utility strongly supports energy conservation because it's good for the environment, reduces strain on the local electrical distribution system during periods of peak demand, and everyonebenefits.

If you have any questions, look on the back page of the booklet forinformation on how to contact your local utility. We're here to help.

An IntroductionAn Introduction

4

Winter is finally over and the season of renewal is underway. Springis a good time to prepare and launch your year-round plan to reduce your energy consumption. The key to a realistic energysavings program is to keep it simple to start and build from there.For example, walk around your home and make a list of the easy improvements you can do by yourself at little expense. Spring is anexcellent time to make the list because what happened during thecold winter months is still fresh in your mind. Take note of themajor energy saving jobs that are long-term and may require experthelp, such as replacing windows.

Spring Checklist

• Walk around the house and look for any winter damage to windowcaulking and sealing.• Hot weather is on the way so make sure your air conditioner is serviced and ready to go. Wash or replace any filters.• Consider installing ceiling fans to improve the efficiency of your airconditioner.• Check outdoor lighting fixtures for winter damage. Clean fixture covers and confirm you are using energy efficient bulbs.• Install motion sensor lights or programmable timers for outdoorlights.

• Clean or change furnace filter.• If you have central air conditioning, seal the seams of accessible furnace ducting with duct tape to ensure more cooled air reachesits destination.

• Vacuum the condenser coils on your refrigerator and freezer.• Turn off the power at the panel and vacuum lint from the clothesdryer motor, drum and exhaust hose.

SpringSpring

Conserver Joe Says:Electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) on your utility bill. 1 kWh is equivalent to burning a 100-watt bulb for 10 hours.

SummerSummerThe lazy days of summer are not the time to get lazy about savingenergy. During periods of hot weather your energy usage climbssubstantially, especially if you use air conditioning, a dehumidifier,or have a backyard pool. Appliances, like a refrigerator, must workharder to maintain a set temperature during hot weather.

Summer Checklist

• Use low voltage outdoor lighting for landscaping.• The same insulation in your attic that keeps you warm in winteralso keeps you cool in summer. Make sure you add attic vents sohot air can escape.• Use curtains or blinds to shade windows. You could considerinstalling awnings.• Whenever possible during hot weather, use the microwave or slowcooker instead of the stove.• Use a ceiling fan alone or in conjunction with an air conditioner tohelp circulate cooled air and reduce the air conditioner's runningtime.• Do you have the right air conditioner? If the unit is too small it hasto run longer and your operating costs will be high. About 18 Btu/hrare required to cool and humidify one square foot of floor space inthe average house or apartment. For example, an approximately 9,000Btu unit is required for a room 20' x 25'.• Put a timer on room air conditioners if there's no one at homeduring the day. It only takes about 30 minutes to cool and dehumidifya room.• If you have central air conditioning, maintain the temperaturebetween 24°C (74°F) and 26°C (78°F).• Put your pool filter on a timer or turn it off on cooler summernights and you could save as much as $85 on a two month bill.

5

Conserver Joe Says:Your water heater is the second largest energy user inyour home and accounts for about 20% of a typicalenergy bill.

6

FallFall

The leaves are changing colour, the days are shorter, and coldweather is on the way. It's an important time to do all of your preparations, inside and out, for the winter months ahead. Whenit comes to conserving energy and reducing your energy bill, thework you do in the fall to get ready for the winter may be the mostimportant of the year.

Fall Checklist

• Drafts around windows, doors, air vents and electrical outletscan account for 25% of total annual heating costs. Caulk andweatherstrip windows, doors, dryer vents and buy insulated platesfor outlets.• Use heat-shrink plastic to act as inside storm windows. • Check your insulation. The attic is the first place to consider formore insulation because that area represents, on average, 10% to15% of your home's overall heat loss.• Arrange the yearly maintenance check on your furnace to ensureit's working at peak efficiency for the winter ahead.• Install a programmable thermostat, an energy saving techniquethat can save you 16% to 25% in energy.• The water heater accounts for 20% of a typical energy bill so youmay want to consider a higher-insulated tank and insulate your hotwater pipes with quality pipe insulation.

Conserver Joe Says:Switching to a high efficiency water heater could saveyou up to $100 on your energy bill every year.

7

WinterWinter

Conserver Joe Says:It's estimated that for every °C the thermostat is setabove 20°C your heating costs rise about 5%.

As the temperature outside drops, your energy consumption climbs.However, once winter weather sets in, the preparations you madeduring the fall will start to pay off. There are still lots of things youcan do inside to improve your home's energy efficiency.

Winter Checklist

• Check for drafts around windows, doors and electrical outlets.• On sunny days; open your curtains and blinds to let the sun warm the room, close them at night to reduce heat loss through windows.• If your thermostat is programmable, set it to drop at least 3°C atnight. The most commonly recommended settings are 21°C (70°F)during the day, 18°C (64°F) for sleeping and 16°C (61°F) when youare away from home. • Use a humidifier. Properly humidified air feels warmer and allowsyou to turn your thermostat down. For example, a home heated to20°C (69°F) with 35% relative humidity feels just as warm as 22°C(72°F) at 19% humidity.• Replace the most frequently used incandescent bulbs with compactfluorescent lights because they use only about 1/3 of the electricity as standard incandescents.• Decrease energy waste by closing the heat registers in unusedrooms and closing the door. • An unfinished basement has a high heat loss so adding interiorinsulation will help improve your home's overall energy efficiency.

8

Year RoundYear RoundThroughout this booklet there are dozens of ways to save money on yourhydro bill by conserving energy. The tips are broken down by season andsubject. However, for a quick reference guide you can use year round, here are

25 Ways to Save Energy in Your Home.

1. Compact fluorescents are designed to fit most standard light fixtures, last 10 times longer, and use 70% less energy.

2. Halogen bulbs use 50% less energy than incandescent bulbs, last two to four times longer, and are compatible with dimmer switches.

3. Programmable timers turn selected lights on and off at specified times, and make your house look occupied.

4. Motion sensor lights turn on automatically when movement is detected in a certain zone.

5. Compare "Energuide" labels when purchasing appliances.6. Set your refrigerator to 3°C (37°F) and your freezer to -18°C (0°F).7. Locate your refrigerator and freezer away from heat sources.8. Replace worn door seals on refrigerators and freezers.9. Pre-heat your oven for only 10 minutes when baking.10. A microwave uses up to 50% less then a conventional electric oven.11. A toaster oven (1500 W) is less expensive to use then a conventional oven (3200 W).12. 1/4 of your hot water is used for clothes washing. Wash with warm or cold water

and always rinse with cold water.13. Clean the dryer's filter between loads.14. Use the washer spin cycle twice to save energy when drying clothes.15. Take quick showers, instead of baths. An 8 minute shower (or shorter) uses less hot water.

16. An energy efficient (low flow) showerhead reduces the amount of water needed for a shower by 50% to 75%.

17. Fix leaky taps. One drop per second wastes approximately 1 cubic metre (220 gallons) of hotwater per month.

18. Set your electric water heater's thermostat to a maximum of 60°C (140°F).19. Weather-strip around doors and windows and caulk (from the inside). 20. The easiest and least expensive area to insulate is your attic. Insulate to R40. 21. Set your thermostat at about 20°C (68°F) in winter. For every degree above this, your

energy use and heating costs rise about 5%.22. Furnace filters should be cleaned or changed once a month during the heating

season, and during the air conditioning season.23. Recommended setting for air conditioning is 24°C (75°F).24. Use a microwave on hot summer days.25. Turn your pool filter off on cooler summer nights.

Conserver Joe Says:An incandescent light dimmed by 25% can save 10%on energy use and extend the life of the bulb.

9

AppliancesAppliances

Let's face it, when you consider the expenses related to runningyour household, appliances are at or near the top of the list. There are actually two price tags when it comes to buying a major electricappliance for your home. There's the actual purchase price of theappliance and then there's the cost of energy to run it. Since the costof energy is something that represents hundreds of dollars over thelife of the appliance, choosing an energy efficient model should be akey part of your purchase decision.

Use the EnerGuide ProgramEnerGuide is a Government of Canada program designed to helpconsumers purchase the most energy-efficient household applianceson the market. By law, the EnerGuide label must be affixed to each new electrical appliance manufactured or imported into Canada.Look for the label when you're shopping because it will tell you the amount of electricity in kilowatt-hours (kWh) that the applianceis expected to use in one full year and shows where the model youare considering ranks in comparison to appliances of similar sizeand type. For more information on the EnerGuide Program go towww.oee.nrcan.gc.ca.

Appliance checklist

• Using an old refrigerator for extra storage? Be aware they are energyguzzlers. New refrigerators use up to 40% less energy compared toone built in the 1970's. Most new units use less than 1,000 kWh peryear compared to 1,500-2,500 kWh per year for older models.• Do not put a heating appliance and refrigerator side-by-side, andlocate the refrigerator away from direct sunlight.• Set your refrigerator to 3°C (38°F) and your freezer to -18°C (0°F).• Keeping the refrigerator full but not overloaded is an efficient use ofelectricity.

Conserver Joe Says:The six major appliances - refrigerator, freezer, stove,dishwasher, clothes dryer and washer - consume over30% of the electricity used in the average home.

10

Clothes Washers & Dryers• A high efficiency clothes washer, based on the EnerGuide rating, uses50% less energy per load than the average model.• The energy to produce hot water is the major cost in washing clothes,so use cold and warm cycles as often as possible.• Wash full loads because the same amount of energy is needed for a fullload as for a single item. Use the mini-load feature.• Dry full loads in your dryer but don't overload. It makes the dryer worklonger and wastes energy.• Dry consecutive loads to take advantage of retained heat in the dryer.

Stoves• Self-cleaning ranges are more energy efficient than regular modelsbecause they have more oven insulation.• Use the self-cleaning feature right after cooking when the oven isalready hot.• About 20% of an oven's heat is lost when you open the door, so a stovewith a window is more energy efficient.• Electric frying pans and toaster ovens use less energy than electricstoves for cooking small amounts of food.

Microwaves• A small family using a microwave for most reheating and cooking mayfind the energy savings to be substantial.• A microwave uses up to 50% less than a conventional electric stove.• For large quantities of liquids, soups or stews, the stovetop element istwice as efficient as the microwave.

Dishwasher• Less energy is used if the drying cycle is eliminated. Look for an energy-saver switch that turns off the heating element allowing the dishes to airdry. • Wait until your dishwasher is full before you wash. Two half loads usetwice as much energy.• About 85% of a dishwasher's electricity is used to heat the water so lookfor a short-cycle or econowash feature.

AppliancesAppliances

Conserver Joe Says:Look for the EnerGuide Label when purchasingappliances.

11

Appliance Usage Chart

Appliance ApproximateAvg.Wattage

Monthly kWh Approximate Monthly Cost in $

Air Conditioner (Room)(Central)

Barbecue GrillCeiling FanClothes DryerClothes Washer, Auto

(w/electric water heating)(w/ non-electric heating)

Computer(monitor & printer)

DehumidifierDishwasher

(w/electric water heating)(w/non-electric heating)

Fan (portable)Hair Dryer (portable)Humidifier(portable)Lawn MowerMicrowave OvenRefrigerator-Freezer

(17 cu.ft.)(13 cu.ft.)

Swimming Pool FilterMotor 1/2 HP

3/4 HP1.0 HP1.5 HP

TelevisionVacuum Cleaner

(portable)(central)

Water HeaterTypical Family of 4Typical Family of 2

10503500185060

5000

500500

200350

13001300115100010015001000

500300

90012001500210080

8001600

38003800

126-756850-3000

7-141-20

80-140

33-1963-16

5-3242-252

20-1023-162-61-108-543-65-30

75-15056-90

648864108015125-35

2-54-10

375-525250-350

9.45 - 56.7063.75 - 225.00

.58 - 1.05

.08 - 1.502.25 - 10.50

2.48 - 14.70.23 - 1.20

.38 - 2.403.15 - 18.90

1.50 - 7.65.23 - 1.20.15 - .45.08 - .75.60 - 4.05.23 - .45.38 - 2.25

5.63 - 11.254.20 - 6.75

48.6064.8081.00118.40

.38 - 2.63

.15 - .38

.30 - .75

28.13 - 39.3818.75 - 26.25

How to Determine the Cost of Running Appliances Using These RatesWattage x hours used 1000 = kWh

kWh x cost per kWh = cost

** On average about $.075 per kWh.

12

LightingLightingIt's estimated that, on average, lighting in your home represents6% of your total monthly energy costs. Over the course of a year thesavings will add up if you take the time to look very closely at howyou are lighting each room. Of course, the easiest way to conserveenergy is to simply remember to turn lights off when not in use.The effects on energy use and light-bulb life when turning the lightback on are negligible.

Lighting Checklist

• There are now a variety of wattages, shapes and styles of compactfluorescents which are 70% more efficient than incandescent bulbsand last 10 times longer.• Some incandescents have been made more efficient by reducingthe wattage. Look for these energy-saving replacement bulbs:34 W for a 40 W; 52 W for a 60 W; 90 W for a 100 W.• Compared to incandescents, halogen bulbs are more expensive topurchase, but they produce a whiter light, last 2 to 4 times longer,and use about 40% less energy to produce the same light. Halogensare a good replacement for outdoor flood and spot lights.• 40 W and 90 W halogen PAR (parabolic aluminum reflector) lampscan replace 75 W and 150 W spot and flood lights. They're ideal for potlights, track lighting and outdoor security lights.• Be aware that incandescent bulbs known as "long-life" or "extendedlife" do last a long time but give 30% less light while using the sameamount of energy.• Where possible, avoid using multiple-light fixtures. Four 25 W lightbulbs give off only 2/3 of the light of one 100 W bulb yet uses thesame 100 W of energy.• Where appropriate, replace standard on/off switches with a dimmer. They reduce light level, save energy and extend bulb life. • Install timers on selected lights to make your home look occupiedwhen you are away and avoid leaving lights on around the clock.

Conserver Joe Says:The watt (W) is a measure of energy and light outputis measured in lumens.To reduce lighting costs andmaximize light output look for lights with low wattageand high lumens.

13

ElectronicsElectronics

If you add up all of the electronic equipment around your home oroffice it's easy to see why the energy consumption by televisions,VCRs, DVD players, home theatre systems, computers and printersdoes have an impact on your overall energy costs.

Electronics Checklist

• The best way to reduce your computer and monitor's energy consumption is to turn it off when not in use. A personal computeruses only one second of running-time energy when starting up.• If you don't want to turn your computer off then make sure the"sleep" mode is enabled, cutting energy use to less than half.• Choose the right computer monitor for your needs. A 17" monitorconsumes 35% more electricity than a 14" monitor. Flat screen LCDsuse only about a third of the energy required for a CRT monitor. •Choose the right printer for your needs. Ink-jet printers use 90% lessenergy than laser printers.• Unplug equipment when they might not be used for a long period of time because most continue to draw power even when they are switched off. Nearly 20% of the electricity used by electronic equipment is lost while they are sitting in "standby" mode.• TVs, VCRs, DVD players, cable boxes and audio equipment representapproximately 60% of "standby" electricity losses.• When you leave the office at night or for the weekend, unplug frequently used TVs, hotplates and coffee makers. One photocopierleft on can cost approximately $60 per year.• Look around your home and office. How many little blacktransformer cubes are plugged into outlets to convert the current for various electronic equipment like cordless phones, battery chargers, and even "dustbusters". Many homes and offices have asmany as ten transformers and that kind of energy use starts to add up.

Conserver Joe Says:Laptop computers use up to 90% less energythan a standard computer.

14

Vacation/Extended Leave

Vacation/Extended Leave

It's holiday time! It's nice to get away and it would also be nice to save some money on the energy bill when no one is home.Unfortunately, that is not always the case since most homes are full ofappliances and electronic equipment that consume electricity whetheryou use them or not.

Vacation/Extended Leave Checklist

• The refrigerator is the largest user of electricity in both vacant andoccupied homes. If you have a second refrigerator, empty and unplugit while you're away.• If you have a waterbed, be aware it's a major energy guzzler. Lowerthe temperature and cover the bed with two extra quilts to act asinsulation.• Use timers on various lights, set to different on/off times, for bothsecurity and to avoid leaving lights on around the clock. If an internallight must be kept on all the time while you are away, use a compactfluorescent bulb to reduce the energy used by 70%. • If you're away during the winter, set the thermostat at 16°C (61°F)• Check the instructions for your water heater because some unitshave a "vacation" setting.• If you have a pool, make sure it's covered and check the timer on thepool pump.• Most electronic devices draw a small, constant amount of power.Unplug as many as you can.

Conserver Joe Says:The average cost of electricity to run one computer, monitor and associated printer 24 hours a day is about $249 a year.

15

Resources/LinksResources/Links

If you are interested in learning more about the various ways to saveenergy, you're in luck. Across Canada, and around the world, there's awide array of information sources regarding energy conservation. Mostare available through the Internet. We've included a few examples foryou.

Conserver Joe Says:It's estimated the average Ontario householduses about 10,000 kWh of electricity per year.

Ontario Ministry of Energy 1-888-668-4636 www.est.gov.on.ca

Natural Resources Canada Office of Energy Efficiency EnerGuide Program www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca

Energy Action Council (416) 488-7608 www.EnerACT.org

Home Energy Magazine www.homeenergy.org

Canadian Energy Efficiency Centre www.energyefficiency.org

Ontario Power Generation www.opg.com

Green Venture www.greenventure.on.ca

Ontario Energy Board 1-877-632-2727 www.oeb.gov.on.ca

Also:See back page of booklet for utility websites.

St.Catharines Hydro340 Vansickle RoadSt.Catharines, ON905-684-8111www.schydro.com

Niagara Falls Hydro7447 Pin Oak DriveNiagara Falls, ON905-356-2681www.niagarafallshydro.on.ca

Grimsby Power231 Roberts RoadGrimsby, ON905-945-5437

Haldimand County Hydro1 Greendale DriveCaledonia, ON905-765-5211

Norfolk Power70 Victoria StreetSimcoe, ON519-426-4440www.norfolkpower.on.ca

Peninsula West Utilities4548 Ontario Street, Unit 2Beamsville, ON905-563-5550www.penwest.on.ca

Brantford Power84 Market StreetBrantford, ON519-751-3522www.brantfordpower.com

Brant County Power65 Dundas Street EastParis, ON519-442-2215www.brantcountypower.com

Canadian Niagara Power Inc.1130 Bertie StreetFort Erie, ON905-871-0330www.fortisontario.com

Welland Hydro950 East Main StreetWelland, ON905-732-1381