Muvar Inc.

How To Cut Your Energy Costs

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How To Cut Your Energy Costs

With reference to the chart above, the largest proportion of a typical monthly utility bill in Alberta goes towards Distribution and Transmission charges (Electricity – 58% and Natural Gas – 50%), most of which are not tied to how much energy one consumes. More than 90% of the this portion of your bill are fixed while a small amount is based on the amount of energy consumed.

The only area you can save is in the usage charge which is about 22% of your electricity and 18% of natural gas bills.

You can therefore, save some money by following the underlisted tips:

Reduce Heating Costs:

The biggest portion of your usage bill (especially in winter) goes towards heating your home and water. In the summer, the majority of the cost goes towards cooling.

Turn your thermostat down by a single degree

This could save you as much as $100 over the space of a year.
 

Replace/ Clean Filters in your HVAC systems

Excessive dusts on filters cause resistance which makes the system to work harder than normal, thereby consuming more energy. By regularly replacing your furnace filters, you could reduce your energy consumption by up to 15%. When you take that and combine it with the fact that your heating and cooling system is responsible for nearly half your energy usage, you could potential save 7.5% each month. Investing in an inexpensive air filter far outweighs the cost of high energy bills.

 

Make sure your home is adequately insulated

Cavity wall insulation may require an initial investment, but could easily save you up to $150 a year in heating costs. Also, Dual pane windows have been known to reduce heating cost during winter, and also minimize heat absorption in summer months. An initial investment in energy efficient windows pays for itself in the long run and finally, try to block any draughts that are coming into your house and make sure you close your drapes to keep the heat in during winter.

 

Lighting:

The quickest, easiest ways to save on your lighting costs are to buy energy efficient bulbs (e.g. 6-8 watt LED light). They last up to 10 times more than normal incandescent bulbs and could save you up to $18 per year. Turn the lights off behind you when you leave a room and get into the habit of switching the lights off as you move through the house.

Appliances Usage:

Do your washing less frequently.

It may sound obvious – but keep the number of wash loads down by making sure the machine is full every time.

Use the ‘economy’ setting on your washing machine.

Many washing powders will now work at temperatures as low as 30 degrees, thereby helping your machine run more efficiently.

Dry your clothes outside or on a clothes line. Tumble dryers use a lot of energy, and should only be used as a last resort or during winter.

Replace your current fridge and/or freezer with an energy efficient model. Look out for the energy efficiency stickers on modern appliances (pictured below). The greener, the better.

How To Cut Your Energy Costs

Cut an average £280* off your energy bill in minutes

While these energy saving tips will surely help you bring your energy bills down as well as reduce your carbon footprint. However, the quickest and easiest way to save on your electricity and natural gas bill is to compare energy prices using our price comparison tool to get better deals.

*Average annual saving of people who switched energy supplier for both gas & electricity using our price  comparison tool.

Energy Savings Titbits

Energy Savings Titbits

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