Conservation TIPS for the summer

Summer is officially here!

Summer means warmer days and evenings, more daylight, and afternoons on the patio. It also means energy use patterns change, and with it, strategies to use less and conserve should change too.

Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency has released its conservation TIPS for the summer, and there’s loads of good and useful suggestions in there. One major area for Canadians to consider is their summer appliances. Do they need to be gas-powered?

Your mower, trimmer(s), leaf blower, and others consume a lot of fuel and produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Electric mowers and trimmers work equally well while consuming proportionately much less energy.

Even better are manual versions. Do you really need a high-octane blower when your broom is right there? And there’s the added benefit of being whisper-quiet. You know how your neighbour’s dog drives you crazy, barking to be let in, then out, and over again? Same idea.

Canadians can also reduce the energy consumed by their indoor appliances. First of all, why are you using your oven so much in the summer, anyway? In winter, sure, a pot of chili hits the spot – but during a heat wave? Cool down with cool foods.

If you do use your oven, make sure the range fan is turned on (which many forget), which doesn’t just keep smells in the kitchen. It effectively vents excess heat from your kitchen to outside, where it doesn’t stifle, and you’re less likely to turn on the A/C.

By switching a few energy habits into summer-mode, you can beat the heat and the energy bills!