Take Action - At Home

• All of the cracks and gaps in the average house, added together, are equal to a 1.5 square foot hole. Using caulking and weather-stripping to seal all leaks around doors, windows, and cracks where heat escapes from your home can save up to 20% on your heating bill.

• Insulate when you renovate your home. Over the years, a small up-front cost can pay for itself several times over in energy savings.

• Get a home energy audit: Visit the Energy Efficiency Agency
  http://www.efficiencynb.ca/enb/1677/A-House-Like-Mine to find out how.
   
• Conserve water, see these tips: http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/reseau/watertips_e.html

• Use an automatic set-back thermostat for your home's heating and air conditioning.

• Clean your furnace filter regularly to ensure good airflow and keep your furnace properly tuned.

• Install low-flow showerheads and fix leaky or dripping faucets.

• Get rid of that old fridge! An inefficient refrigerator with an ill-fitting door can cost hundreds of dollars a year to operate. A new, more efficient refrigerator will consume less energy and provide many new features.

• When buying that new refrigerator, or any household appliance, check the EnerGuide label to help you select the most energy-efficient model that meets your needs.

• Almost all of the energy used by clothes washers is for heating water. Only about 10 per cent or less is actually used by the electric motor that runs the machine.

• Use cold water whenever you can to improve your clothes washer's efficiency.

• Let dishes air-dry rather than using the dishwasher's drying cycle.

• Use energy-efficient lighting products such as compact fluorescent bulbs. They last 10 times longer and use 75% less energy than regular incandescent light bulbs.
   
• Visit the New Brunswick Lung Association's "Healthy Home Program" for actions individuals can do at home.

• Hot water on demand - http://www.enviroharvest.ca/demand_hot_water.htm

• http://www.ec.gc.ca/education/default.asp?lang=En&n=129C994E-1