Ted and Sandra live with their two daughters in a three–bedroom house
in an older neighbourhood in Sudbury and own a family car. They want to
use less energy to save money and to do their part to protect their health
and the environment.
They started out by:
turning down their programmable thermostat 3°C at night in the winter. During summer, they set their air conditioner to a comfortable 25°C;
switching from hot water to warm and cold water wash for laundry;
walking or biking more when the weather is nice, reducing their car use by about 10%;
keeping their car well maintained and checking tire pressure more regularly; and
using their car’s air conditioning only when needed for longer road trips.
Ted and Sandra then saved up to do more, including:
adding the best available insulation to the attic;
caulking and adding weather–stripping to seal air leaks in their house;
replacing their old furnace with a new high–efficiency gas furnace.
"As a family we've reduced our emissions and are saving about $300
a year on our natural gas bills alone."
A new energy–efficient refrigerator uses 36% less energy than models made 10 years ago.
All the air leaks in the average older house add up to a 40 cm square
hole – enough for a medium–sized dog to pass through!
Hey Kids! There's a lot you can do too!
turn off the TV or computer when you’re not using them
use a microwave to warm food instead of the oven
recycle
walk or ride your bike instead of asking Mom or Dad for a ride
