We Love BC Hydro’s Home Heating Tips
Winter is soon approaching and we can certainly feel the temperature change. You may have noticed BC Hydro’s various advertising on how we can all do our part in order to reduce consumption and as a result, save a few bucks. Read below and check out the various videos from BC Hydro’s recent tips.
Original Source: BC Hydro – Winter Home Heating Tips
You may find your electricity bill going up during the winter months. Increased heating and other winter energy habits (such as using more lighting for longer hours), can make the average winter electricity bill 66% higher than the rest of the year.
There are some steps you can take to heat your home more efficiently and help you avoid high winter bills.
See our tips for:
Baseboard heating
If your home has baseboard heaters you’re likely already aware that they can be costly to run. In fact, they can account for up to 50% of your home’s overall electricity use. Thankfully with a few simple tips – like turning them off in rooms you’re not using, keeping them at an ideal temperature, and ensuring they’re kept clean, can help keep your costs down.
Watch the video below to get more tips for using your baseboard heaters efficiently and read our piece 10 things you may not know about electric baseboard heaters.
Setting your thermostat
In winter, heating costs can go up by as much as 140% compared to the rest of the year. One of the most effective things you can do to control your heating costs is to manage your thermostat effectively.
A programmable thermostat is a small investment that can help you manage your heating costs by reducing wasted heat. Simply set it to turn on at the times you’re home and turn down when you’re out during the day, and at night when you’re sleeping.
- Setting your thermostat at the right temperature is important. Heating costs rise about 5% for every degree above 20°C (68°F) that you set your thermostat.
- 16°C when you’re away from home and sleeping.
- 21°C when you’re relaxing or watching TV.
- 18°C when you’re cooking or doing housework.
- Set it and forget it. Set your thermostat to adjust at certain times of the day, like when you’re asleep or at work. Have your thermostat warm up right before you usually get home in the evening.
- Manage settings on the go. If you make spontaneous evening plans and have a WiFi-enabled smart thermostat, adjust it right from your smartphone so your home doesn’t get warmed up for your arrival.
- Do you have baseboard heating or rely on portable space heaters? They can be inefficient, especially for large spaces. Make sure you’re using yours as efficiently as possible.
- ‘Smart’ thermostat “learn your routine.” Thermostats like the Nest will learn your daily routine and automatically adjust the temperature for you.
Draftproofing your home
A drafty home is an inefficiently-heated home. If your home is losing warm air to the outside and letting cold air gust in, you’re wasting heat. Sealing gaps and cracks can help, reducing heat loss by up to 10%. Plus, it’s a simple job that only involves a little bit of work.
Here are some simple how-to videos:
- Applying weatherstripping
- Checking for drafts in your home
- Installing outlet and switch insulator pads
Looking for other do-it-yourself projects to improve your home’s efficiency? See our other videos.
It’s also important to use window coverings effectively to minimize heat loss during the winter.
Using a space heater
Most portable space heaters use a lot of electricity so if the room you’re trying to heat is large, or you have multiple heaters in multiple rooms, they can quickly rack up your bill. Using our online cost calculator, you’ll see that a 1,400-watt space heater used an average of four hours a day will cost you about $17 a month to operate.
To make the most of a portable heater, follow these tips:
- Use it in a small or enclosed space.
- Place it the corner of the room.
- Keep doors to the room shut to keep the heat in.
- Turn it off when you leave the room.
No matter what kind of space heater you’re using, it’s important to keep safety top of mind. Ensure it won’t tip over, use it on a level floor, keep blankets and fabric away, and never go to sleep with the heater on.
Use MyHydro to manage your electricity use and save.
Managing your heating habits is even easier thanks to energy tracking tools available in MyHydro.
You can see how much electricity you’re using, down to the hour, which can help pinpoint when you’re using the most electricity, and you can adjust your usage to find savings.
One family did just that, and their electricity costs dropped by 41% in a month.
Find out more about the energy tracking tools available in MyHydro.
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