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Make the switch to seasonal LEDs. Change out old holiday lights with new LED ones. They can save up to 90% compared to older incandescent lights and can last up to 10x longer.
Bring LEDs inside. Days are shorter and time spent at home is longer so it’s a great time to purchase some new ENERGY STAR LED lights to brighten up your home.
Choose an ENERGY STAR LED TV for those holiday specials. An ENERGY STAR qualified TV uses about 30% less energy compared to a non-ENERGY STAR TV.
Manage your power. Improve your older computer’s energy efficiency by optimizing power management settings.
Be smart with smart power bars. Smart power bars turn off unused electronics to stop standby energy use. Your TV is set as a master and other devices are only turned on when the TV is in use.
Get ENERGY STAR with your cable service Set top boxes (PVRs) are a power hungry device in most homes, but TELUS has become an ENERGY STAR qualified service provider and offers set top boxes that use 25% less then the standard models.
Cold weather, cold water washing. 50% of the energy used to wash clothes comes from heating the water. By using a cold water wash cycle your clothes get just as clean but with half the energy.
Unplug those chargers. Even when your device is done charging the battery chargers continue to draw power. Somewhere between 5% and 10% of all your household power use comes from standby power.
Full loads for full efficiency. Clothes washers and dryers have limited abilities to determine how full they are and even with smaller load settings it’s better to do one full load than two small loads.
Remove and recycle. Keeping your old electronics and moving them to a bedroom or basement can cancel out the energy savings of new products. Take the time to bring your old electronics to a Return-it Depot, shed that energy demand and keep them out of the landfill.
Clean up clutter with Fridge Buy-Back. Got a second fridge that sits mostly empty? Contact BC Hydro and take part in our Refrigerator Buy-Back program. We’ll pick it up and give you $30.
Change your habits. One of the cheapest tips can be the hardest to do. Think about how you use your electricity. Are your lights always on? Is the TV used as background noise? Do you leave all your electronics on when unused? Take an inventory of your how you could change your habits to reduce the consumption.
Make a few changes, register for Team Power Smart and you could be on your way to a 10% energy reduction in 2012 and a $75 cheque as a reward.
Merry Christmas!
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Go to bchydro.com for Power Smart conservation tips and energy saving rebates or join us on Facebook or Twitter.
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