Running a small hall can be very costly. Here are some quick tips on how to lower your energy bill!

In the kitchen:

  1. Fix leaky faucets so you don’t waste water.
  2. Keep oven doors closed while cooking and baking. The internal temperature can drop up to 15 degrees everytime it is opened.
  3. Keep your fridge and freezer full so they run efficiently.
  4. Keep your fridge between 2-3 degrees and your freezer at -18 degrees.
  5. Energy efficient appliances are a bit more expensive than regular appliances, but their operating costs are anywhere from 10-25% less than regular appliances. Look for appliances with the Energy Star symbol.

Heating and cooling:

  1. In the summer, keep the windows and blinds/curtains closed during the day to keep the sun and warm air out. At night time, open windows to release warm air.
  2. In the winter, open blinds/curtains to let the sun heat the room.
  3. Ensure windows and doors are airtight, which can save up to 25%  on heating and cooling costs.
  4. Consider installing a programmable thermostat. It will adjust the temperature according to your schedule and saves you money.
  5. Use ceiling fans instead of adjusting the temperature when possible.
  6. When heating a room, turn up the thermostat one or two degrees at a time. Turning it up all at once doesn’t make it heat up faster but it does use more energy.
  7. If you have electric heat, turning the heat down only 2 degrees saves almost 5% on your energy bill.
  8. Be smart with your radiators. If you’re feeling the chill, why not try heating only the rooms being worked in? Simply turn the off the valves on all the radiators in unused rooms. That way, you can beat the chill with minimum impact to your bills.
  9. Bleed radiators if you are using gas central heating with radiators. If you got air in the system it can stop hot water circulating efficiently.

Lighting:

Incandescent bulbs consume a lot of energy and need to be replaced more often than other energy efficient bulbs.

  1. Although energy efficient bulbs are more expensive, LED and CFL bulbs use up to 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Therefore, they save energy and need to be replaced less frequently which saves money. You should change your light bulbs in the rooms where you spend the most time at.
  2. Turn off lights that aren’t being used.
  3. When possible, use natural light. Open the blinds and let the sunshine in, this is a great way of severing your energy consumption.
  4. Use timers to have a positive effect on lights being used. You can use a device like Google Nest so your lights are synced up with them allowing them to turn off automatically.

Other:

  1. Turn off computers, phones, televisions, and printers when they aren’t being used. Possibly think about getting a smart power strip. This device helps you prioritize what you do and don’t want to keep running.
  2. Schedule your day. You would be surprised on how much energy you can save by having a smart daily routine. Some things you should consider is setting up a separate workspace that’s away from everything else in your house, creating a specific hour-by-hour routine, giving you time without devices, making your schedule clear to the rest of your community hall, so they know not to disturb you at certain timesClean or replace the air filter on your furnace to ensure it isn’t working harder than necessary.
  3. Use low-powered devices like a laptop when streaming and change screen settings on your phone by turning the brightness and volume down.
  4. Use a power bar when you need to plug many things in and turn the bar off when you are finished instead of leaving everything plugged in.
  5. Try to use laptops instead of desktops. Laptops will just use 75 kWh per year, while a desktop can eat up as much as 194 kWh.
  6. Use a kettle when boiling water instead of letting water cook on a pan. The average kettle is 80% efficient.
  7. Watch the kettle and try not to be forgetful. Sometimes we boil water and forget about it. Try to break this habit to conserve energy.
  8. When washing laundry do it at 30 degrees. Use an eco-wash setting if you can. This will save on your bills in the long term.
  9. Tumble dryers use a lot of energy so try to avoid using them.
  10. Optimize your fridge space, once a fridge gets dusty it can struggle to function at full capacity. Clean off the coils to optimize its performance. Also, avoid putting warm food in the freezer. Let them cool before stashing them away.
  11. Don’t wash up under a running tap. Fill the bowl up as much as is required for the level of washing up you have. If it’s just a few plates and cups, a third to a half of the bowl is all that’s required. You could also avoid rinsing your plates, as this wastes excess water. Using a dishwasher? Make sure you fill it completely before you turn it on, to make the most out the energy it uses each cycle.
  12. Monitor your energy use. By checking your own meters on a monthly basis, you’ll be able make sure you only pay for the energy that you’re actually using. If you don’t already have a smart meter, it might be worth investing in one. These cut out the middle man, ensuring you get an accurate reading all throughout the year without having to check yourself.
  13. Google Nest gives you a maximum flexibility to manage your energy smarter. You can control your heat when you’re not around using your smartphone.
  14. Make long-term investments. If you’re not planning to move in the near future, it may be worth looking at more long-term energy-saving solutions. Solar panels could be really cost effective for you in the long run. You might save around £100 on your electricity bill each year, and more by earning money for energy you generate and sell back to the grid. Re-insulating your home is another good investment, as is replacing your boiler if it’s getting old. See more about the grants you could get to make your home more energy efficient with the new green deal. When you replace your household appliances make sure you choose the most energy efficient. See which appliances are the most expensive to run. The government of Prince Edward Island has a solar electric rebate program that is worth checking out if you are interested. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/environment-energy-and-climate-action/solar-electric-rebate-program
  15. Compare energy suppliers. Think about switching to another energy supplier it could make prices cheaper possibly and if clean energy matters to you, you can even see which suppliers have green energy credentials.

I hope that you can implement a couple of these tips in your hall! If you have a topic you would like me to cover in next weeks blog, you can email me at peihalls@gmail.com. 

Sources: https://www.energysage.com/energy-efficiency/101/ways-to-save-energy/

31 Ways to Save Energy in Your Home

https://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/savings-and-rebates/everyday-electricity-saving-tips.html?WT.mc_id=rd_21tips

https://www.comparethemarket.com/energy/content/energy-saving-tips/