Conserving and greening our power.

Wasting energy is like throwing money out the window.  Whether it is electrical power or home heating, energy is a major source of pollution and a major part of cost of living.

Conserve energy to lower your utility bills, and then the cost of greening your power becomes that much more affordable.

Just look at the cost of electricity.  The average Canadian home uses around 1,000 kWh of electricity each month, at a cost in excess of $100, or over $1,200 a year (Manitoba Hydro has a neat chart comparing prices across the country) .

True leadership on energy starts with conservation, and helping Canadians to lower their home energy bills.

So what can you do?

What you can do depends on where you live and what your priorities are.  We suggest starting with simple actions first, and at all times be sure that your decisions are ones that will help you live better in the end — either by saving you money, keeping your home more comfortable during weather extremes, or through the knowledge that you are contributing to a more sustainable future.

Here’s some ideas:

1. Change your habits. Get in the habit of turning lights off when you leave the room.  Use power bars to turn off electronics when not in use.  Air dry laundry whenever possible – that dryer is a huge energy pig.
2. Change your lights.  Look for the best in LED lights or compact fluorescents to make a big difference in lighting
3. Change your appliances.  When buying new appliances, check the Energuide label to find the most energy efficient.  Invest in quality, efficiency and durability..
4. Get audited.  A home energy audit will show you where you can save money on heating bills.
5. Get stuffed.  Insulate your home and put weather stripping around leaky doors and windows.
6. Green your power.  Switch to a green energy supplier, or invest in solar panels or community power cooperatives.

We’ll have a factsheet up shortly with more information about energy conservation and green power.