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Winter is coming: easy ways to save on your family power bill

Winter is coming: easy ways to save on your family power bill

Winter is coming. And while for some hearing this phrase means new episodes of Game of Thrones, it’s the higher energy bills that have us concerned. So before the leaves have all fallen and the toques come out, maybe it’s time to tighten up your energy use. One way to save and get the whole family smart about energy consumption is to get the kids involved as power police!

Five easy things the kids can do help the family save energy this winter

Let’s face it kids love to have a little power over their parents, so let them have it. Give them some simple energy-saving measures they need to look out for and be in charge of. If you save on your hydro bill, give them a small stipend for a toy or special meal out.

Turn off unnecessary lights

Fact: Two 100-watt incandescent bulbs switched off for an average of two hours per day could save you $12 over a year.

What the kids can do: They can be in charge of turning off unnecessary lights during the day and before leaving the house.

Turn water off when shaving, washing hands, brushing teeth

Fact: If you reduce your hot water usage by 5%, you can save about $21.

What the kids can do: Make sure they turn off the water while they brush their teeth and wash hands, and allow them to remind mom and dad to do the same.

Hang dry your laundry

Fact: If you do eight loads of laundry a week and use your clothesline for 50% of those clothes, you could save $47 a year.

What the kids can do: If it’s sunny out, and it can be throughout the winter, have them help hang laundry. Or set up a drying rack for nylon sports clothing.

Take shorter showers (or share a bath)

Fact: Hot water is expensive. If two people in your home cut their shower time by a minute each, you could save $30 over a year.

What the kids can do: Most kids don’t take showers but whether they take showers or baths, lowering the level of water, sharing the bath with a sibling or, gasp, skipping a bath from time to time is sure to please the kids!

Bundle up

Fact: It turns out our parents were right. Putting on a wool sweater and some cozy slippers raises your body temperature meaning you can turn the thermostat down or delay turning on the heat.

See Also

What the kids can do: As the house power police, they each get a brand new sweater and slippers as part of their uniform. Oh and, yes, we think mom might need to upgrade her sweater collection too. PS: blankets on the couch for Netflix viewing are also a must!

Did you know? Make these 21 no-cost changes in your home and you could save $500 or more a year and earn a $50 reward from BC Hydro.

Enter the BC Hydro Contest!

Enter to win one of three prizes to help you make smart choices: a Samsung Family Hub smart fridge with a wifi touchscreen, a Nest package, and a Philips Hue lighting package. Visit www.powersmart.ca to enter to win.

This post was sponsored by BC Hydro

BC Hydro is a public utility provider in clean energy – Electricity. bchydro.com provides many levels of education for residents, business, and schools, as well as free tools and rewards for power saving achievements through your residential online account (within the myhydro.com portal).

 

 

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