[getsmart-l] Ontario Chief Energy Conservation Officer: Make energy conservation your New Year's resolution

[News Article]

Here is a column by Peter Love, Ontario's Chief Energy Conservation 
Officer. This column is available for publishing, provided Mr. Love 
is cited as the author. He can be contacted at 416-967-7474 or 
1-800-797-9604, or CECO at powerauthority.on.ca. For more information, 
see www.powerauthority.on.ca.


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Emacs!

Emacs!

Peter Love
Ontario's Chief Energy Conservation Officer


Shed extra kilowatts in 2008

Make energy conservation your New Year's resolution!

To everyone who answered my call to use less electricity in 2007, 
thank you. We reduced our electricity use significantly, and to get 
the specific details on our progress, please see my 2007 Annual 
Report, Taking Action, at www.conservationbureau.on.ca. But there's 
much more we can do to reach our provincial goal of saving an 
additional 1,350 megawatts by 2010, so here's some ways to do so.

Here are 10 easy tips to get you started:

    * Turn off the lights in an empty room. Replace the old, 
incandescent bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent light (CFL) 
bulbs whenever possible; they use 75 percent less electricity and 
last much longer than incandescent styles. Consider solar powered 
lights, timers or motion sensor equipped light fixtures for outdoor security
    * Use a power bar with a timer to automatically shut off electric 
appliances that are not being used, and purchase ENERGY STAR 
appliances - their savings add up.
    * Dispose of the old "energy hog" fridge in the basement which is 
wasting both space and energy.  The fridge you bought in 1975 costs 
about four times as much to run as a new ENERGY STAR model. Is the 
temperature of your refrigerator and your freezer set for only as 
cold as you need?  Defrost your manual-defrost freezer regularly to 
ensure it operates at maximum efficiency.
    * Have your home assessed by an energy audit expert. Homeowners 
interested in making energy efficient changes to their home may be 
eligible for provincial and federal retrofit grants. To find a local 
energy auditor go to 
www.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/new-home-improvement. Weather 
stripping and caulking around windows, ducts and doors can cut your 
heating bill by 10 percent.
    * Defend the purchase of that stylish new sweater by using it as 
a reason to keep your thermostat set lower in the winter.  For every 
degree you lower the heat, you'll save up to 5 percent on your 
heating cost.  Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the 
heat of your home when you are not there and warm it prior to your return.
    * A dirty furnace filter reduces air flow and makes your furnace 
work harder; clean filters can save up to 5 percent of energy use. 
Clogged lint traps on clothes dryer also waste energy by reducing the 
efficiency of the unit. Use special tape to seal leaky heating ducts 
and keep heat going to where it is needed.
    * Take a quick shower instead of a bath; a typical bath uses 
about 75 litres of hot water, while a five-minute shower with a low 
flow showerhead you will use about half that amount.
    * Wrap your electric water heater and reduce energy use by 8-10 
percent with an easy to install "tank insulating blanket," available 
at hardware and building supply stores. Foam sleeves that cover and 
insulate the heated water pipes exiting you water heater are very 
easy to install.
    * Wash your clothes in cold or warm water. Did you know that 
85-90 percent of the energy used by washing machines is used to heat 
the water? If you are buying a new clothes washer, check out 
front-loading models, which cost a little more but use about half the 
water of conventional washing machines. When the weather is right, 
use an outdoor clothesline to dry laundry.  Clothes dryers account 
for about 6 percent of household energy use in Ontario.
    * Use energy-saving small appliances, like an electric kettle, 
toaster oven, or microwave whenever possible. Run your dishwasher 
only when you have a full load, and use the energy-saving cycle.
-30-

The Ontario Power Authority creates and implements conservation and 
demand management programs, ensures adequate investment in new supply 
infrastructure, performs long-term, electricity system planning. The 
Chief Energy Conservation Officer and the Conservation Bureau are 
part of the OPA, and work toward promoting a culture of conservation 
throughout the province (www.powerauthority.on.ca and 
www.conservationbureau.on.ca).

For high resolution photos, or to arrange an interview with Mr. Love, 
please contact:

Jonathan Laderoute, e|c|o, 416-972-7401, laderoutej(a)huffstrategy.com

Don Huff, e|c|o, 416-972-7404, huffd(a)huffstrategy.com

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