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10 Tips for Saving Power and Money this Winter

Thank you to BC Hydro & Jones Media for the opportunity to collaborate on this Power-Saving Post.

In my past life I’ve been known to be a big power waster.

I remember my co-workers commenting to me that they noticed that whenever they walked by our house it seemed to glow unnaturally from how many lights I had running at one time.

It was likely every light in the house.

I must admit it. I love light. Especially when it is so dark and gloomy here all winter.

But with the price of electricity growing hand-in-hand with my understanding of the importance of conserving energy, I’ve been trying to make a concerted effort to become more responsible about not wasting power.

And that means I’m trying to stop my bad habits like leaving the lights on in rooms that I’m no longer using…

Command Central Station Creating a Command Center in a Closet at The Happy Housie-16

And thinking about putting on a sweatshirt and cozying up with a blanket in the evening instead of cranking the heat…

Winter Decorating how to decorate in winter at The Happy Housie-14

Or even remembering to turn the heat down while we are out of the house all day…

 

We’ve all heard about Movember. But have you heard of Offtober?

It’s a new initiative by BC Hydro to encourage people to save power. Which means saving energy. And saving money. {Which I am sure is the part that my husband will be most thankful for}.

But Offtober goes beyond just turning out the lights when we aren’t using them…

Command Central Station Creating a Command Center in a Closet at The Happy Housie-15

Powersmart.ca offers all kinds of tips on changes that are FREE and that can save you power=money!

Lighting!

Installing our new kitchen lighting sconces and pendants from build.com at thehappyhousie.com-18

  • Instead of lighting up your whole house like the Vegas Strip, you can rely as much as possible on natural light.
  • When the natural light is all gone for the day, consider using task lighting (rather than overhead) whenever possible.

Water!

tips for choosing a kitchen faucet at The Happy Housie-3

  • Reduce your water usage by taking shorter showers and by turning the water off while you are brushing your teeth.
  • Check your faucets and make sure that they aren’t dripping or leaking – it is amazing how much water can be wasted by one leaky/drippy faucet.
  • Turn down the temperature on your water heater just a little bit.

Appliances!

Gorgeous Coastal style white shaker kitchen with aqua blue at thehappyhousie.com-26

  • Turn off and unplug unused electronics; and switch to a laptop instead of a desktop computer at home.
  • Make sure that you run full loads of dirty laundry and dishes in the dishwasher – doing half loads wastes a tremendous amount of power. If you wash your laundry in cold water (using detergents designed for cold water washing) you will save even more.
  • Hang dry your laundry whenever possible, or if using the dryer toss a dry towel in with the load. Did you know that the dry towel trick will reduce the dry time by around 10%?
  • If you have a second fridge or freezer that isn’t really used, unplug it! It’s crazy how much running a second full sized appliance can cost you.
  • Run your dishwasher on a quick or power-saving mode – or at least without the heated dry.

Want to remember these??

This is awesome! Pin it to remember it!

10 Free Ways to Save Power and Money this Season

And right now, BC Hydro has a contest for Savers Keepers – head over to their site for all the details!!

For more ideas Offtober Savings Tips on saving power and energy this Offtober {and this whole winter season!} visit PowerSmart.ca, or follow BC Hydro on Facebook or Twitter.

Your energy bill {& savings account} will definitely thank you for it!

 

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