CuttingCosts101.com – Learn How to Save Money!

I was checking my mail today and noticed a pamphlet from Hydro One introducing a new online program called Power Saver Plus.  Power Saver Plus is a free online application that audits your energy use and gives you advice on how to improve your energy efficiency and save some money.

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.

Chances are that if you are reading this post you do not have a programmable thermostat installed in your home….what are you waiting for!?!  The key function that makes the programmable thermostat great is it’s ability to monitor your room/house temperature and make adjustments based on set points that you input.  Set points you ask?  Most programmable thermostats come with four set points: WAKE (set the time you get up), LEAVE (set the time you go to work), RETURN (set the time you come home), and SLEEP (set the time you go to bed).  For each of these set points you enter the temperature that you want your house set at.  For example, when I wake up in the morning @ 7am my thermostat will bring the house temperature up to 20 Celsius.  When I leave for work @ 7:45am the set point changes to 16 Celsius, which means that the furnace will not come on unless it goes below 16 degrees.  When I come home from work the set point changes back to 20 degrees @ 4:40pm, and then goes down to 18 degrees @ 10:00pm when i’m ready for bed.  If you have an old style of thermostat you would have to do that every day 4 times a day!

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.

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.  This is one of those that you probably never thought of before, but are guilty of.  You could definitely save 1 gallon or more of usage per day if you follow this tip

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.