Energy Conservation

  1. For Your Home
  2. For your Business

Energy Saving Tips for Your Home

Whether greenhouse gas emissions result from your transportation or from your home, you can reduce them by making simple changes to your lifestyle that help to conserve energy. The first step is to reduce the energy used by your car; replace it with a more efficient hybrid or electric vehicle, or take advantage of other green modes of transportation. It might seem inconvenient at first, but it will quickly become part of your routine and it will have a tremendous impact on your energy use and your carbon footprint.

More than anything, conserving energy is about making subtle changes to the way you live your life in an effort to reduce your environmental impact. Repeatedly performing a task as simple as turning off a light when you’re done using it is an easy way to turn it in to a habit. Once conserving energy becomes a habit, you will barely notice that you are doing it, but the impacts of your actions are much more substantial than you could easily quantify. The best part is, while you’re providing an incredible service to your planet, you’ll also be saving money!

Conserving energy in your day-to-day life is so important and so easy that multiple institutions and organizations offer tips and tricks to help people save. That advice can be found below:

If you’re looking to make a big dent in your carbon footprint and the amount of energy that you use, consider renovating your home to make it more energy efficient. Utilizing an Energuide home energy evaluation will help you identify areas that can be easily improved to save energy. Generally speaking, reducing drafts by weather-stripping and caulking is a cost-effective place to start, while increasing your home’s insulation is a more intense and expensive project that will net significant cost and energy savings over a longer period of time.

Replacing older household appliances with modern, energy efficient models is another good way to reduce the energy that your house consumes. Energy Star and other energy efficient products can reduce the amount of energy needed to complete everyday tasks, like washing clothes or refrigerating food. You can use a cost calculator from BC Hydro or The Home Depot to determine how much energy and money will be saved by your upgrades.

For families who might face financial challenges when looking to save money by conserving energy, BC Hydro and FortisBC are now jointly offering free energy saving kits for low-income households.

Families facing cultural challenges or language barriers to conserving energy should consider registering for the Empower Me program. The program pairs households who need help understanding how to make their home more comfortable and energy efficient with a mentor who speaks their language and understands the challenges they face. It fosters social connectivity, helps people save money, and allows everyone to live their lives more sustainably.