Green climate control

Green one degree at a time
Turn down the heat and throw on a sweater. A programmable thermostat will automatically turn the heat down at night and back up in the morning. Keeping your heat at 20 °C (68F) during the day and one or two degrees cooler at night can knock off 20 percent on your heating bill. Choose a model that works with your schedule: -7-day: allows you to set different programs for different days – great if your schedule changes daily. -5+2-day: best if you keep the same schedule weekdays but another on the weekends. -5-1-1: best for a regular weekday schedule with a different schedule on Saturdays and Sundays.

Maintain your furnace
Our indoor air can be pretty polluted so a regular cleaning of your furnace is a must. Give up the cheap filters and choose one with a high Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV)—a higher number means a better filter and a more efficient furnace. Consider buying a HEPA filtration system if anyone in your family suffers from asthma.

Go expensive to save
Portable heaters are a great solution for keeping one room toasty after you’ve turned down the furnace. Avoid cheaper models since they have two settings: off or blasting away at 1500 watts per hour (cost: $167.40 per month). Expensive heaters have dual-setting thermostats to control the heat and keep your electricity bill low. Also avoid heaters with fans. They may heat up the room quickly but the heat doesn’t last. Radiant heaters give a longer lasting and more consistent heat.

Age matters
When it comes to air conditioning, age does matter. Air conditioning is measured on SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio); 2006 models have a SEER of 14, 1992-2005 are a 10 while older models can be as low as six. Clearly, newer models are more efficient. Choose window units with high-efficiency compressors, fan motors and heat-transfer surfaces. Raise the temperature by two degrees—23 °C (73° F) to 25 °C (77° F)— you won’t notice the difference but you’ll save energy. Keep the filters clean for maximum efficiency.

Getting into hot water
Lowering the temperature on your hot water heater to 54°C keeps the water hot enough to kill bacteria but still low enough to save energy. Your hot water tank will also last longer. If your heater is older than seven years invest in a tank wrap—a thick, fibreglass blanket that holds in the heat. Wrap up exposed hot and cold water pipes with insulation to stop heat or cold from escaping.

Fireplaces: Wood, Gas or Electric?
There’s nothing more romantic that a crackling fire but the traditional fireplace is a big polluter sending most of your heat straight up the chimney. Green your fireplace by adding an EPA-approved insert that bumps up energy efficiency from near zero to 70-85 percent.

While gas stoves are efficient, you’re still burning a fossil fuel. The electric fireplace remains the most energy efficient but lacks a certain ambience.

Modern woodstoves are excellent choices since they are built to have smoke emissions of just 2-5 grams/hour. An added bonus is that wood is considered a carbon neutral fuel source. But, you can burn petroleum-free firelogs made from recycled coffee grounds or sawdust.

Taking a stand on standby power
Electronics with run clocks, timers, remote controls and other features use “standby power” that continues to draws electricity even when turned off. Since the average household has 25 standby these electronics can bump up your electricity bill by $100 or more. The simplest solution: plug them into a power bar that you can turn off or on.