ENERGY CONSERVATION 
 

One of the greatest energy saving feature in your apartment is YOU!

By using energy wisely you reduce the demand for energy, which saves, or at least defers, construction of new power plants and saves our ever depleting natural resources.
 
Energy conservation is both painless in terms of its impacts on apartment dwellers' lifestyles, and priceless in terms of its environmental benefits for everyone, as well as future generations.

The typical apartment consumes energy as follows:

                                          ENERGY SAVING TIPS 

By putting the following tried-and-true basic conservation tips into practice, and making them a habitual part of your daily apartment living lifestyle allows YOU to do your share of protecting our environment.
         
  
HEATING& COOLING
 
Avoid changing thermostat settings too frequently, as they increase heating costs in winter and cooling costs in summer.

In winter, set the thermostat at the lowest setting which is reasonably comfortable. A maximum daytime temperature of 20C is recommended.
 
During the winter, lower the thermostat to 15C or less at night, and while away from the apartment for extended periods.

During winter, closed drapes and blinds over large glass areas on the shady side of the apartment and at night can reduce heat loss through windows by up to 16%.

On sunny winter days, open drapes and blinds on the sunny side of the apartment to let the sun warm the apartment naturally.
 
  In summer, set the thermostat at 25C which is a comfortable temperature for most people.

  During the summer, raise the thermostat a few degrees at night and turn off the air conditioner while away from the apartment for extended periods.

On summer days, drapes and blinds should be closed on the sunny side of the apartment to reduce cooling loads.
           
If you must increase or decrease the apartment temperature, remember that setting the thermostat beyond the desired level will not enable the system to work faster. The system will overshoot the desired temperature and waste energy.

Wear layers of clothing instead of turning up the thermostat.

When feasible install ceiling fans, as they cool a room in summer by drawing hot air upward, and when reversed in winter, blow the air back down to warm the room.
 
 

WATER HEATING

Report leaking faucets as quickly as possible. A steady drip of hot water can waste gallons per month, as well as the energy required to heat it.

Do not run hot water continuously while shaving, washing hands or washing dishes.

Take short showers instead of baths.

MAJOR APPLIANCES

Kitchen Range

Be sure your range is turned off immediately after use. Establish the habit of turning off the range before removing the cooking utensils.

The electric surface units can be shut off shortly before the food is done. The food will continue to cook from the stored heat energy that remains immediately after you turned it off.

Reflector pans beneath the stovetop heating elements should be kept bright and clean to reflect the heat back up to the pot. Shiny pans help focus heat rays on the utensil bottoms whereas dull or soiled drip pans absorb the heat wastefully and reduce the efficiency of the burner.

Use pots and pans that are about the same size or a little bigger than the heating
element. A pot that is 2 inches smaller will waste about 40% of the heat.

Use the smallest pots and pans you can for the cooking task at hand.

Use pots and pans with flat bottoms, straight sides and tightly fitting lids, so less
energy escapes and lower heat settings can be used.

When heating or boiling a large quantity of water, start with hot tap water where a major part of heating has already been done at a more efficient rate.

When heating or boiling small amounts of water use an electric kettle. It heats water more efficiently than either stove elements or microwave ovens. For maximum efficiency the kettle should have an automatic shut-off switch.

Broiled meats cook faster, saving energy.

Oven cooking is more economical than cooking on the stove top surface. Ovens
require energy only periodically since the insulation holds in the heat. Most cook tops consume energy the entire time they are in operation.

Cook outdoors or prepare cold meals to avoid excess heat in the kitchen.

Use a microwave or small appliances, such as a toaster oven or electric frying pan whenever possible. They are more energy efficient than conventional ovens and use about half of the electricity of a full-size oven.

Preheat your oven only when necessary, usually only when leavening is used such as in cakes or breads.

Avoid opening the oven to check on food. Each time you open the oven door, the baking temperature drops 25 - 50 degrees.

Refrigerator & Freezer

Set the refrigerator at 3-4C, and the freezer at -18C.

Post a list of what is inside the refrigerator and freezer on the outside of the door
so you won't have to keep the door open for lengthy periods of time while looking for what you want.

Keep your refrigerator and freezer full, but place items slightly apart to allow air to circulate effectively.

Always cover foods or liquids in the refrigerator. This will keep the food from drying out, and it will save the unit from having to work harder to remove excess moisture.

Allow hot foods to cool slightly before placing them in the refrigerator or freezer.

Use the refrigerator to thaw frozen food, rather than the microwave oven. You will save on both microwave heating and refrigerator cooling costs.

Dishwasher

Always fill up the dishwasher to its full load capacity before using it. You'll use the same amount of energy and water for a half full load as you would for a full one.

When the dishwasher has completed its final rinse, wait for the steam to settle and then open the door and let the dishes air dry. It's much faster and uses less energy.
 
 

LIGHTING

Always turn off the lights when no one is in the room.

Replace standard incandescent bulbs (40, 60, 100 & 150 watts) with energy saving (34, 52, 90 & 135 watts) incandescent bulbs, without compromising
brightness.

Energy efficient compact fluorescents fit most standard light fixtures, last 10 times longer than incandescent, and save 70 % on energy use. To maximize savings, use in fixtures that are in use for three hours or more per day.

Dust light bulbs and fixtures to improve light output.

Install dimmer switch for your incandescent lights.

                                            
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