Team Nickerson

The problem:
The average 50-year-old home can lose a third of its energy through air leakage. The culprits are small holes and cracks in walls and gaps around baseboards, sockets and attic hatches. Together these cracks and holes can add up to the size of a basketball.

What to do:
A blower door test, conducted during an energy audit, is the best way to find air leakage areas. Sockets can be lined with foam for as little as $20 for an entire house. Small cracks can be caulked (around $4 for a tube) and larger ones filled with foam (one $5 can do the whole house).

Expected savings:

20-30 per cent of enegy costs is standard

The problem:
Standard incandescent lightbulbs are inefficient

What to do:
The easiest way to reduce energy costs is to replace all incandescent lights with compact fluorescent lightbulbc (CFLs), which use about a third of the power and last up to 10 years ($3 per bulb). Install dimmer switches on the ones that allow it and on any remaining indoor incandescent lightbulbs. Put outdoor lights on timers and remember to turn off indoor lights every time you leave the room!

Expected Savings:
$100-200 per year

The problem:
Gaps around old, ill-fitting windows and doors let cold air in and warm air out, as does the glass on single-glazed windows.

What to do:
In most cases, it’s not cost-effective to replace windows (their cost is high compared with potential energy savings(. Instead, caulk windowsills and cover panes with heat shrinkable plastic in winter (less than $20 for a few windows). Weatherstripping reduces drafts around doors ($25 per door). If you do opt for new windows, expect to pay $500-1000 per window. Look for double-glazed windows with low0E glass and argon gas fill.

Expected savings:
About $3-5 per window per year.

The problem:
Attics, especially in older homes, often lack sufficient insulation (12” or more) and a vapour barrier to decrease drafts. Homes built in the 1960s typically have about 3” of insulation, while older homes could have even less and no vapour barrier.

What to do:
Lay or blow in new insulation ($200-2000 depending on ease of access;not all older homes have a hatch to the attic). If there’s no pening, an auditor can drill a small hole to check for insulation thickness. Make sure any attic access is well sealed and a vapour barrier is installed or warm, moist air can blow through insulation, possibly causing mold. Ensure insulation isn’t blocking recessed lights in the vceiling below, creating a fire hazard.

Expected Savings:
Up to 30 per cent in older homes, but fixing the problem may not be worth the cost if there’s no access. An energy audit can give you an estimate.

The problem:
The damper doesn’t close tightly, so heat escapes when the fireplace isn't in use equivalent to having an open window.

What to do:
Check for damper efficiency during a blower door test. If there is leakage, a Wood Energy Technology Transfer (WETT) certified fireplace technician can install and airtight, spring-loaded damper (about $300). If you don’t use the fireplace, consider sealing the opening with drywall.

Expected Savings:
$30-100 per year

The problem:
Some vents blow too weakly while others are too forceful, resulting in a temperature imbalance: excess heat on a home's main level and insufficient heat upstairs

What to do:
Test vents by placing a garbage bag with a cardboard rim over each vent and timing how long it takes to fill with air. Three to five seconds is normal; vents that fill faster are sucking air from the rest of the house. To slow them down, partially close the damper to direct air to less-efficient areas. If vents on upper floors are too slow, consider installing an additional cold-air return ($500-1000) to redirect more air upstairs.

Expected Savings:
Variable: The main reason for changing airflow is for comfort.

The problem:
Refrigerators and washing machines made prior to 1990 are not energy efficient. Energy is also wasted by computers left in standby mode and TVs and stereos turned off by remote (these still use energy) causing what are refered to as phantom loads.

What to do:
Consider upgrading to a high-efficiency friege and front-loading washing machine. New stoves,dishwashers and dryers may not be worth the replacement costs in terms of energy savings. Turn off electronics or plug them into a power bar that can be fully switched off.

Run the dishwasher only with a full load of dishes. Let the dishes air-dry or use the economy setting.

Set your refrigerator between 2 -3 degrees Celsius and the freezer to -18 degrees Celsius.

Expected Savings:
$200-250 a year

The problem:
They all use lots of energy; the air conditioner is typically the biggest consumer of power in most homes. In many cases, however, it doesn't pay to replace these big-ticket items unless there's a secondary problem with the unit.

What to do:
Reduce the need for air-conditioning by installing energy-efficient ceiling fans. Programmable thermostats (about $50 and up) save heat or air conditioning power when you're sleeping or not at home.

When it's time for a new furnace (they typically last 25-30 years), chose the highest efficiency model available ($1400-4000). The greenest option around is source heating, also known as geothermal ($18,000-40,000 installed).

When it's time to replace the hot water heater (every 10-15 years), consider an on-demand unit ($1000-$2500 installed) which costs 60 per cent less to run. Until then, launder in cold water and install low-flow shower heads and aerator faucets, which mix air and water to give less flow but maintain high pressure. Keep your electric water heater at 60 degrees Celsius and your gas water heater at 55 degrees Celsius.

Expected Savings:
About 30 to 40 per cent increase in efficiency; switching to a geothermal energy system will cut costs by 300 to 500 per cent.

Wrapping your older electric hot water tank with an insulating blanket will save you up to 9% on your water heating costs

The Problem:
Here in Vancouver, where we are surrounded by waterways, snow-capped mountains and wet winters, we can easily forget that water is a precious and limited resource. In fact, only 3% of the world's water is fresh, and less than one third of 1% is available for human use.

Canadians like to think that we are environmentally conscious citizens but the reality is that Canada ranks a dismal 28th among the 29 nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in terms of per capita water consumption. Only Americans use more water than Canadians.

Canada uses 1,600 cubic meters of water per person per year. This is more than twice as much water as the average person from France, three times as much as the average German, almost four times as much as the average Swede and more than eight times as much as the average Dane. Canada’s per capita water consumption is 65% above the OECD average.

In terms of total water consumption, Canada is 26th out of 29 OECD nations, with the United States, Japan and Mexico using more water, in total, than Canada.

What you can do:

• Keep showers to under 5 minutes
• Use only a little water in the bathtub
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
• Put water in the sink when washing up
• Flush the toilet only when necessary.
• Don't use it to flush tissues
• Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk
• Use a bucket when washing the car
• Use a turn-off nozzle on the end of the hose to adjust the water flow and turn the water off and on
• Turn your water faucet off tight
• Put water in the kitchen sink to wash and rinse dishes
• Run the dishwasher only when it's full
• Run the washing machine only when it's full
• Check for hidden water leaks
• Incorporate low-volume toilets and automated faucets in kitchens and bathrooms

You can purchase Indoor and Outdoor Water Saver Kits from the City of Vancouver ($12 for Vancouver residents). The Indoor Water Saver Kit is especially suited for older homes and includes a low-flow shower hear, two bathroom aerators, a kitchen aerator, a toilet displacement bag, and two leak-detection tablets. The Outdoor Water Saver Kit includes a heavy-duty water nozzle, mechanical water timer, six hose washers, and two rain gauges. Using them should save up to 21 cubic meters of water! Kits are available in the Client Service Centre at City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue.

Expected Savings:

If you use the water saver kits you can save 10-15% on your water heating bill. If you follow the suggestions above and watch your water consumption, the amount of water you can save is virtually unlimited!

Call the RCBC Recycling Hotline 1-800-667-4321 for options to recycle your appliances, or post them on the RCBC Materials Exchange www.bc.reuses.com if they still have some life in them and could benefit someone else.

Cellphones and rechargeable batteries may be dropped off at businesses participating in the Rechargeable Battery and Cellphone Recycling Program. Businesses may join the program for free and either collect in-house or become a public collection point. www.rbrc.org

You may also join Freecycle, a free online community that connects people who want certain products with those who want to get rid of those types of products. www.freecycle.org

When looking at buying or selling new computers, ask the companies if they take back products that are no longer wanted. A list of some companies that do is available on the Electronics Product Stewardship Canada website at www.epsc.ca

Dell will recycle your old PC and monitor for a fee, no matter what the brand, or for free if you are buying a new Dell machine. www.dell.com

Apple accepts its own and other brands of computers at no charge from customers purchasing new ones. It also offers options for those not buying new. www.apple.com/environment/recycling

HP will take used equipment from any manufacturer for $13-$34. All hardware is either reused or recycled. www.hp.com/recycle

If your old computer equipment still works, you may donate it to Computers for Schools in BC. Each year, they redistribute about 7,500 computers to schools and libraries, redirecting over 34 tonnes of e-waste from landfills. www.computersforschools.ca

We all know what we can and can't put into our blue & yellow bags, and in the blue containers, but what can we do with milk and juice containers? You can bring all empy milk, cream, milk substitute and juice containers to a participating Return-it Depot in your neighbourhood. This voluntary milk container recycling program is a project of the BC Dairy Council and is fully funded by them. Visit www.encorp.ca/milk to find out locations, and for 'how to return 'em' tips!

Many of the products we buy to care for our homes include ingredients that can be harmful to people and the environment. What can you do? You can choose less-toxic products to clean your home. Doing this can protect your family and the environment. You'll also save money by using some simple safe ingredients to make your own cleansers. www.seventhgeneration.com

www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

To solve the problem of climate change, we all need to take account of our personal carbon emissions and make continued efforts to reduce them wherever possible. But it is impossible to reduce our carbon emissions to zero, no matter how hard we try. Going carbon neutral by purchasing carbon offsets is a practical and affordable way to do something about those remaining emissions. In effect, you are paying someone to offset your carbon emissions by giving them money towards creating renewable energy or reducing their own carbon emissions. It's supposed to be a zero sum game.

For a further explanation as well as links to carbon calculators and a list of approved Carbon Offset vendors, please visit David Suzuki's website for more information.