Komorowski’s Korner – Richard Komorowski
Every Kilowatt Counts
For several years now, the Ontario Power Authority has been actively encouraging electricity conservation. One example was their very popular coupon scheme to promote the use of compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) in place of regular incandescent bulbs, which use about four times the energy for the same amount of light. This fall, they are offering rebates on some other ways to save energy, lower your hydro bill, and reduce your CO2 emissions.
Amongst the more notable savings offered right now is $6.00 off the price of a light switch timer to use in place of a regular light switch. These timers are a great idea if people in your house regularly forget to turn off the lights after leaving a room. They’re also offering $6.00 off the price of a heavy duty outdoor timer. Use one of these, and you don’t have to leave the car plugged in all night during really cold weather – just have it turn on an hour or two before you need to drive to work.
Did you know that if you have an “instant on” TV, it uses power even when it’s turned off? You could simply unplug the TV when you go to bed, and plug it in again when you’re ready to watch it the next day, but that’s a lot of hassle, and who’s going to remember? The simple alternative is to get a power bar with a built-in timer, which will turn it off at night but have the TV “warmed up” and ready to go the next morning. Such a timer is great for the Christmas tree lights too, and the OPA has a $6.00 coupon towards the price of this little item.
The OPA will also save you $2.00 or $4.00 off the price of weather stripping for your doors, depending on the type of weather stripping you select. Those of you who heat their hot water with electricity can get $5.00 off the price of a supplementary insulating jacket for their hot water heater. Just remember, though, this product is designed for electric hot water heaters only – there could be safety issues if used with a gas hot water heater, so consult a qualified professional first if you heat with gas.
Do you remember to turn down the heat before leaving the house for the day, or going to bed? If not, the OPA has a $10.00 coupon towards the price of a programmable thermostat designed for use with a baseboard heater. Be careful, though. Baseboard thermostats are completely different from regular furnace heaters, and they are NOT interchangeable.
With one of these thermostats, your bedroom can be comfortably warm late in the evening when you’re ready to retire, and again in the morning when you get up, yet you don’t have to waste electricity (money) heating the room during the day or night if you forget to turn down the thermostat yourself. As an added bonus, if you need three of these thermostats, there’s a $45.00 coupon!
Compact Fluorescents haven’t been forgotten this fall either. If you want to get a dimmable bulb, a tri-light, or one of the fancy varieties, there’s a $3.00 coupon waiting for you.
These coupons are usually available at retailers, but you can always download them from http://everykilowattcounts.ca/residential/powersavings/coupons.php and print whatever you need. However, act now! These coupons are only good till November 1, 2009.
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I hooked this up within the kitchen sink to avoid a 30 foot run from the primary HWH. It took about 1 hour beneath the sink and one other 30 minutes installing one other energy outlet. The heater works great. The 2.5 gallon supply is lots to deal with dishes and hand washes. I disconnected the primary provide and have not missed it.