Discover easy tips to help you save energy and money

• Use cold water to wash your laundry.
• Take shorter showers—even a couple of minutes less counts.

Watch: how to save on water heating costs.

• Put on a sweater instead of turning up the heat.
• Open curtains on sunny days to take advantage of natural heat.
• Close blinds and curtains at night to help reduce heat loss.
• Heat the rooms you’re using, not the whole house.
• Turn off heat sources in unoccupied rooms and try using your indoor fireplace or baseboard heaters. It's called zone heating.
• Program your furnace’s thermostat to 16°C when you're asleep or out and 20 to 22°C when you're home—if you have a dual fuel system, maintain a consistent temperature.

Watch: how to program a connected thermostat.

• Close blinds and curtains during the hottest parts of the day.
• Open windows during cooler evenings and mornings.
• Air dry laundry instead of using the dryer.
• Avoid running heat-generating appliances during peak heat.
• Use fans to stay comfortable and reduce cooling needs.

Note: using a fan, wall-mounted or window-mounted air conditioning unit instead of a central air conditioner is called zone cooling. You can turn these units on or off as you enter or leave a room. It’s a great way to save energy and money!

Weatherstripping, caulking and other draftproofing measures are low-cost ways to seal gaps and cracks around your windows and doors, exterior walls and attic hatches. This helps keep warm air in your house on a cold day and cool air on a summer one.

Did you know you could save up to $600 a year by adding proper weatherstripping to your home.¹

Watch: how-to videos on how to weatherproof your windows, doors and prevent outlet drafts.

If your heating system is aging, inefficient or requires frequent repairs, it may be time to explore replacement options or professional servicing. Regular heating system maintenance for your furnace, boiler or heat pump can help improve efficiency, reduce energy use and keep your equipment running reliably. Try to:

• replace your furnace filter every three months—a dirty filter can make your furnace work harder and cost you more in the end.
• if you have a heat pump, keep the outdoor unit free of vegetation and clutter to allow air to pass freely. The indoor unit has a filter that can be cleaned or replaced every three months too, to keep air moving efficiently.
• schedule annual maintenance for your furnace, boiler, water heater and heat pump to help keep your system operating efficiently
• learn more about heating systems, like your old furnace, and when an upgrade may be best

Watch: how to change your furnace filter.

You may want to consider additional insulation if:

• rooms are too hot in summer or too cold in winter
• temperatures vary significantly throughout your home
• your home feels drafty despite sealing gaps and cracks

Watch: how to insulate your windows and keep cold air out.

Your windows and doors may need upgrading if you notice:

• drafts around closed windows
• condensation between glass panes
• difficulty opening or closing windows
• damaged frames or weatherstripping

Energy-efficient appliances do the same task as regular appliances but with less energy. You can:

• consider replacing inefficient appliances—like a refrigerator, clothes washer or dryer—with higher efficiency ones—also check out our rebates on various heating systems

Watch: how to shop for energy-efficient appliances.