How much energy your home uses depends on the size, type, age of your home, and how many people live in your home. According to Natural Resources Canada, 62 per cent of the energy used in the average home is used to heat the space.

What makes a home energy efficient?

• Better building envelope: airtight construction, air sealing, better insulation
• High performing equipment, windows, lighting and appliances

Energy Efficient Home (pdf)

A good starting point is to find out how much electricity your appliances and devices use and which areas of your home might be wasting energy. Borrow the Energy & Water Conservation Toolkit for free today from the Red Deer Public Library. 

Before making improvements to your home, you may want to get a better idea of how much heat your home might be losing and where air leaks may be coming from. There are several ways to do this:

1. Borrow a thermal camera - a thermal imaging camera is available for free from the Red Deer Public Library. These cameras use infrared technology to take pictures of your home and how where the heat and air are escaping so you can see which areas can be improved. .

2. Sound and touch inspection - large air leaks can be detected by listening for whistling noises on windy days, or where you can feel air escaping. For example, on a cold day, touch different parts of your windows and doors to find where air may be leaking.

3. Visual inspection - check the following areas for cracks and gaps:

• Electric outlets
• Door and window frames
• Baseboards
• Vents and fans (including behind furniture and appliances)
• Around pipes and wires

4. Incense smoke test (appropriate if you live in a house; if renting, you must have permission from your landlord) - close your doors and windows, turn off your furnace and water heater, and turn on your bathroom fans. Move an incense stick or candle around windows, doors, light switches, electrical outlets, and pot lights. If the smoke moves away from these objects, there may be an air leak. Watch how it’s done here.

Ready to take action? Improving the efficiency of your home doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. To get started on saving energy, read our ten tips below:

1. Turn down the temperature. Space heating makes up over 60% of total energy use in your home. Think about your daily routine and how you can adjust the temperature at certain times of the day. For example, turn down your thermostat by a couple degrees before you leave your home or before you go to bed.
2. Close the doors. Keep the doors closed to rooms you are not using to help keep the rest of your home warmer.
3. Weatherstrip your windows and doors to reduce air leaks. Not sure how? Check out the EnergyWise Guidebook for Residents (pdf) .
4. Close the blinds. In the summer, keep your home cooler by closing the blinds on the east side in the mornings, on the south side all day, and on the west side in the evenings. Closing your blinds can block up to 65% of the heat. In the evenings, open windows to allow air to flow through.
5. Open the blinds. In the winter, open your blinds during the day to allow the heat from the sun to warm your home. Close your blinds in the evening.
6. Save water to save energy. When you reduce how much hot water you use, you’re using less energy. Try reducing your shower times to cut down on your water use.
7. Hang dry laundry. Your dryer uses the most energy of all appliances in your home. Try hang drying your laundry instead of using the dryer. If using a dryer, use dryer balls, which help separate your clothes and get more separation in them to reduce drying time.
8. Wash laundry in cold water and use cold water detergent.
9. Switch to LED. Not all lights perform the same. LED light bulbs are the most efficient bulbs on the market. They last 30 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs while using less energy. Bonus - they don’t heat up and instead remain cool to the touch.
10. Turn off the lights when you’re leaving the room, even for a short period of time.

There are economic, social and environmental benefits to having energy efficient buildings.

 Economic:

1. Using less energy means spending less money on the variable costs of your energy utilities (i.e. natural gas, electricity).
2. Buildings that use less energy are less vulnerable to energy cost increases.
3. Buildings that demonstrate energy efficiency can be more attractive to buyers and tenants, who know that the building is likely to be less expensive to operate and more comfortable.
4. Increased comfort could reduce the costs associated with resident/tenant complaints.

 Social:

1. Many actions that improve energy efficiency make the building more comfortable, i.e. warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
2. Energy efficient buildings tend to have better air quality, reduced drafts and have healthier temperature ranges, which contribute to reduced chronic disease and improved physical and mental well-being.
3. Energy efficient buildings stay more comfortable and safe during a blackout or disaster.
4. Owners of very efficient buildings can be acknowledged for their leadership, and energy efficiency can be a way to differentiate yourself from your peers.

 Environment:

1. Reducing energy use also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. For municipalities such as Red Deer with high-carbon grids, reducing electricity use through energy efficiency is one of the best ways to reduce Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
2. Using less energy derived from fossil fuels helps improve air quality.
3. Energy efficiency supports The City of Red Deer’s Environmental Master Plan, which includes targets to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve air quality.

1. Commit to energy efficiency improvement
2. Assess energy use
3. Set goals
4. Make a plan
5. Implement plan
6. Evaluate and recognize progress

Learn more about each of these steps in the EnergyWise for Apartment Buildings (pdf) or EnergyWise for Organizations (pdf) .

The changes that are most commonly recommended to make these buildings more energy efficient are:

• Recommissioning. Ensure your current system is operating as efficiently as possible. This can include new lamps (bulbs), fixtures, and controls like occupancy sensors.
• Lighting. This can include new lamps (bulbs), fixtures, and controls like occupancy sensors.
• Electricity loads. Reduce the electricity used by building occupants and electronic equipment, including Energy Star refrigerators and automated washroom exhaust fans.
• Heating controls. Only heat or cool when you need to by using building energy management systems and smart thermostats.
• Air distribution systems. These systems bring air for heating or cooling to building occupants and affect both energy consumption and occupant comfort.
• Heating and cooling system. Ensure the equipment is sized properly and the most energy efficient option.

These changes save energy and provide good return on investment. Find more detailed information and resources in the EnergyWise for Apartment Buildings (pdf) .

There are many lower cost and highly effective energy efficiency upgrades to consider. Some commonly recommended actions include:

• Determine baseline: Complete a EnergyWise walk-through for Organizations (pdf) to determine current status and areas for improvements
• Lighting: Install LED bulbs, upgrade fluorescent light fixtures and install occupancy sensors
• Heating controls: Install and set programmable thermostats to only heat or cool rooms when occupied
• Water use: Install high efficiency water fixtures in all washrooms and kitchens
• Building envelope: Replace worn weather-stripping, caulking and door sweeps to reduce drafts and improve occupant comfort

For additional details and actions to improve the energy efficiency of your building, look in the EnergyWise for Organizations (pdf) and use the EnergyWise walk-through for Organizations (pdf) to guide you.