- Me and savings are two different things.
- After moving to a house was overwhelming. (mortgage,bills and groceries)
- I am not good with numbers but I can try hard to learn!
- First thing was to pay close attention on our electricity bills.
- Most important thing was to learn about timing (Off-peak, Mid-peak and On-peak)
Time of Use (May 1-Oct 31) Rates and Time
According to Toronto Hydro
- On-Peak= when demand is highest (busiest Time of the day)
- Mid-peak=when demand is moderate
- Off-Peak=When demand of electricity is lowest
That graph made it so clear for me to learn when to use electricity and when not to.
Laundry
- washer and dryer takes a lot of units so first thing was to control on that.
- Laundry just on weekends. (Off-peak)
- Dryer is the monster to eat a lot of electricity so what I did is bought a drying rack.
- I use dryer in emergencies, especially in winters.
- I do my laundry on Friday nights (Off-peak) and dry on racks.
- keep dryer lint trap clean, it will allow the moister to leave the dryer faster and dry your cloths in less time.
- Sometimes I check my dryer before the set time if the are dry I will turn off the dryer that’s save more.
Dishwasher
- Dishwasher is no no thing for me I have brand new Dishwasher but never dare to use it because it use a lot of electricity.
- I do my dishes by hands.I Have 2 sinks I scrub all my dishes at once then I rinse them together. (If I am rinsing a plate then the waste water will rinse remaining dishes so that is how I can save on water too.
- I don’t have to use hot water to do dishes and hot water needs electricity.
Air conditioner
- Best thing is I am sort of allergic to air conditioner-it gives me headaches and nausea.
- Well in summer we use exhaust fan in one window and open other windows, in few minutes it can make the house pretty cool and it is the best way for ventilation 😉
- If my family needs air conditioner they can turn it on but only if they feel hot or only when they are home.
Oven
- I have a regular big oven but you won’t believe me that I never used it (Never)
- I bought a small oven (best decision ever) It does not need a lot of time or energy to heat up.
- (I don’t have to put a lot of energy to clean as I used to do with big oven) My oven can stay new 😉
Cooking
- I prepared my son’s lunch at night so I don’t have to use stove in Peak hours in the morning. (morning is for making breakfast)
- I cook at night in off-peak hours .( I cook at day time if need to but try not to)
- Means I prepared lets say chicken curry or okra at night for next day. At day time I will make roties or if I have to fry kabobs.
- I keep the lid on while cooking
- I use less water
- Sometimes my dishes need a lot of time to cook because I cook on low heat (food taste more) I am planing to get pressure cooker. (it saves time and energy)
- I turn of my stove 5 minutes before time because stove stay hot even after turning off for 5 minutes.
Microwave
- I freeze meat in small portions so when I need to use it I don’t have to use microwave.
- Lets say if I have to freeze chicken I will put few pieces in a zip loc bag, when I will cook I can cook it directly without using microwave.
(We all know that microwave is not good for our health )
Lights
- Buy LED or CFL light bulbs they help you save more energy than incandescent lights.
- Turn off the lights if you are not in the room.
- In summer I move my curtains away to use maximum sun light. (till 9 pm)
- Turn off porch light, there is no need to leave it on all night.
- I use motion sensor in my closet, they turn off by itself.
Hair
- Air dry your hair ( Good for your pocket and very good for your hair- heat is bad for hair.
- After washing your hair, braid your hair for nice curls not the curling rod.
Snow shovelling
- shovel snow by hand because a snow blower uses a lot of energy
Cooking-microwave vs electric stove
Curtains
In winters–In the morning move the curtain away from windows so natural heat can warm up your rooms. Before sun goes down close the curtain to trap the heat.
In Summer–don’t move away curtains to keep the house cool.
Unplug
Unplug the things that you are not using
- chargers
- fans
- extra lights
- toaster
- juicer
- coffee maker
- Do your best to save on electricity bills (do the right things on right time, that is all)
- don’t stress enjoy life.
Anju 