Here are some benefits of signing up:

- You will help to preserve energy for future generations

- Enjoy up to 10% energy costs savings with your new thermostat

- Get a one-time $25 credit on your hydro bill

- Get a free programable thermostat professionally installed.

- Have the convenience of changing your home temperature from anywhere there’s internet access.

To be eligible you must have a central air conditioning unit in working condition, live in a single family home or townhouse, and be the homeowner or have the homeowner’s permission to participate.

To sign up you can call 1-866-380-6051 or visit hydro one’s website: www.HydroOne.com/peaksaver

It is possible to completely build your own solar panel, but for the most part, these panels are small and don’t produce the wattage necessary to power more than a lamp….and only for a couple of minutes at that!  The most effective way to produce power from the sun, when you can’t afford to hire the professionals, would be with a solar panel kit.  These build your own solar panel kits come with everything you need to successfully build your own solar panel in the comfort of your living room, or the garage may be a wiser choice.

Surprisingly, build your own solar panel kits are not difficult to find.  With large companies like GE producing these kits, the build your own solar panel sets are very affordable and offer quicker return on your investment than purchasing and professionally installing a solar energy system.  In general, the instructions are easy to follow and in no time you are on your way to your own solar power system.

If you are looking to build your own solar panel there are a numerous resources and guides available to help you through the process.   Click on the link to find out how to get Started making your own power at home and take advantage of the potential money savings and the reduction of your carbon footprint.

Install a naural gas dryer.  Based on rates from April 2009, a natural gas dryer could save your up to $80 a year compared to electric models.  I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you couple that with other cost cutting strategies it does add up!  Unlike older natural gas dryers, newer versions have adapted from a coninuously burning pilot light to a electronically controlled ignition, which in turn uses less gas.  Additonally, you will be helping out the environment by using 60% less carbon dioxide emissions compared to electric models.  Ask your natural gas service provider for installation services and where to purchase.

Use low flow fixtures.  There are many ways to take advantage of this to reduce your water consumption.  For starters, make sure you have an aerator on all your faucets.  By installing aerators, you are cutting the water flowing through your faucets by up to 30%.  You should also replace all of your shower heads with low flow units.  The average shower would use roughly 10-15 gallons of water.  Depending on how many people in your house take showers, low flow shower heads could make a significant impact in the amount of water that you can use.  Lastly, if you’ve already installed faucet aerators and low flow shower heads, you should consider low flow toilets.  This is by far the most expensive of the three options, but you could save 1-2 gallons per flush with a new unit…which will add up over time.  Keep in mind that all of these upgrades are covered under the Energy Retrofit Program and the Home Renovation Tax Credit (for Canadian Residents).  Go back and read my post on Government grants for going green if this is new to you.

Put water barrels under evestrough drain spouts.  There’s no sense letting all that rain water go to waste when you can use it for watering your flowers or washing your car.  Many hardware stores sell fancy (and expenisve) water barrels, but if you don’t really care what it looks like you could use a garbage can or any old bucket really.  Take advantage of free water whenever you can!

All you have to do to take advantage of this program is go to www.Hydroonenetworks.com/powersaverplus to get started.  Once you’re there, you will be prompted to enter details about your home or apartment.  After that, you will then enter details about heating and cooling as well as information about the different appliances you have in your home.

After entering all your information about your home, the program will calculate where you can make energy improvements and how much money you can save (your hydro rates are taken into consideration for these calculations).

Aside from learning where you can save energy and money, you can enter your previous billing amounts (up to 13 months) and compare your annual energy costs with other customers.  By doing this, you can see if you are on par in terms of energy usage with customers with similar information.

I took the time to sign up for this program before writing this review and I found Power Saver Plus to be a useful tool.  I discovered that although i’m below average in energy costs, there are some significant improvements I can take advantage of to reduce my usage and costs even more.  I would definitely recommend that you click on the link above and take the time to enter your information and see where you stand.

So you may be wondering what’s the benefit of all those different set points?  By lowering the temperature when you’re not home you’re saving money because you’re using your furnace or baseboard heaters less.  Now of course you could still do this with a conventional thermostat, but you would have to remember to change the dial 4 times a day everyday.  With a programmable thermostat you input your set points once and that’s it!  Studies have shown that by installing a programmable thermostat you could save up to 25% on your heating costs….so I recommend that you look into getting one as soon as you can.

The cost of a programmable thermostat can go from a base model of $35 up to a 7-day touchscreen model for around $150.  Most people will be fine with the basics, but if your work schedule is constantly changing I would go with a 7-day unit.

Run your dishwasher at night.  A lot of areas have higher water and energy rates at peak times, so take advantage of lower rates at night if your dishwasher is equipped with a time delay function.  I would recommend setting the delay to come on between 12am-3am…but I would check with your local providers first to see when the lower rates kick in.

Instead of the dryer use a clothes line.  The dryer is one of the biggest energy users you have in your home, so it’s nice on your wallet to give it a break now and then.  As long as the weather is co-operating, I would reccomend this approach from April to October for big energy savings.

Lower your thermostat by one degree.  Studies have shown that by lowering your thermostat one single degree could save you 25% on your heating bill.  This will take some getting used to in the winter months, but after a few days (and maybe another layer of clothing!) you’ll get used to it and reap the rewards.

I know $750 sounds like a lot of money, but there are some great money saving offers if you do want to install one of these systems.  If you are a customer of Union Gas, you can receive a $450 bill credit by installing a drain water heat recovery system (refer to www.uniongas.com/energyefficiency).  Also, regarding the Canadian Government’s Energy Retrofit Program (refer to previous post) you are also eligible for an additional $260 ($130 from both Federal and Provincial) in grant money.  In order to be eligible for the grant money, you must have a pre and post assessment of your home completed

First you have to get an assessment from a certified NRCan energy adviser.  They will assess your home from attic to basement and they go over a report with you on eco-upgrades that you can make that qualify for the grant.  Click here to find a certified adviser in your area.

Next you can visit the NRCan website to see a list of improvements you can make along with amount of money you can get back.

After you initial assessment, you have 18 months to make any installations.  Afterwards, the certified NRCan energy advisor will come back to your home and do a post-retrofit evaluation and help you submit your application for any grants that you qualify for.  You will then be issued a cheque within 90 days for the installations that were performed.

This is an excellent step for the Federal and Provincial government and if you care about saving yourself some money and saving the environment at the same time I would look into this offer.