City of Vancouver Home

Heating and hot water

Feeling drafty? Keep the heat where it belongs

If you have ever felt a cool draft coming in around a closed window or door, you have warm air escaping through the same gap. Drafts not only make your home less comfortable, but also cost money! Caulking, weather stripping and draftproofing are easy, low-cost ways to draft proof your home which can reduce heat loss by 5-10%.

Turn down the heat at night and when you're not home

Heating your house typically gobbles up half your household's total energy use. For every one degree you lower your thermostat, you save two to three per cent on your heating bill. Better yet, install a Energy Star-programmable thermostat from your local hardware store. Read the installation instructions before leaving the store so you can ask for advice if necessary.

Wash your clothes in cold water (even the whites)

Between 80 and 90% of the energy used to wash clothes is for heating the water. By switching to cold-water washing, you can save up to $52 a year in energy costs. New detergents have been formulated to work in cold water.

While on the subject of laundry, did you know that 6% of a household's electricity is used by the dryer? Save energy by hanging your clothes to dry. Visit Let's Hang Out, a Canadian grass-roots movement centred in BC that's encouraging the natural drying of laundry as a way of helping to address global warming.

FACT: By wearing your jeans 3 times, washing them in cold, hanging to dry and not ironing that you'll consume 5 times less energy. The United Nation Environment Programme even created a 30 second video clip to raise awareness about this fact among young people.

Adjust your home's hot water temperature

This one is common sense in reducing your home energy bill, but lowering your water heat temperature is not always as straightforward as we’d like it to be. In their Dec. 08 newsletter, BC Hydro states "If you don’t have your owner’s manual, be sure to contact an electrician for assistance in understanding the control system. For a gas water heater, there is typically a dial near the bottom of the tank on the gas valve.  For electric water heaters, the thermostats may be behind screw-on plates or panels.  As a safety precaution, shut off the electricity to the water heater before removing/opening the panels." And remember:

  • While making adjustments, mark the beginning temperature and the adjusted temperature on the dial for future reference.
  • After making your adjustments, check the water temperature with a thermometer at the tap furthest from the water heater.  Several adjustments may be needed before you get the right temperature.
  • Do not lower your water heater temperature below 55ºC. That will avoid the risk of developing harmful bacteria in your water system.

While you are at it, wrap any exposed hot water pipes with pipe insulators available in hardware or plumbing stores. It is quick, easy and will help your hot water from losing its heat.

Install low-flow shower heads

Roughly 25% of the energy used in your home is for heating water. Because low-flow shower heads use 60% less hot water, the typical household of three that showers daily can save nearly $200 a year by making the switch. Vancouver residents can pick up water saver kits at City Hall for only $12 (retail value $30). Kits include a shower flow-rate tester, low-flow shower head, tap aerators, and a toilet tank displacement bag.

Alternatively, you can pick up an energy-efficient showerhead at your local hardware store. Look for ones with a flow rate of 2.5 gallons or 9.5 litres per minute or less. Don't forget to pick up pipe tape to eliminate leaks, another form of energy drain.

Replace older furnaces with high-efficiency models

If you're only looking at the price tag when it comes time to replace your old furnace, you may not be getting the best deal. Space-heating systems use 40-60% of your home's energy so making the right choice is important. A standard forced-air furnace wastes about 20 cents per dollar, while older furnaces can waste even more. Take advantage of the latest technology – most new high efficiency furnaces have an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of 90% or higher. Consider not only purchase price, but also installation costs, available incentives and operating costs as well as taking into account how energy prices might change in the future. An investment in high-efficiency equipment is often the wisest, and most economical, choice. Find out how EnerGuide can help you compare the energy efficiency of furnaces.

Just as your car needs tune-ups to maintain good running order, your furnace or boiler needs periodic tune-ups to keep it in tip-top operational shape. Sticking to a maintenance schedule will save you energy dollars, provide increased comfort and extend the life of your heating system.

Choose a certified efficient fireplace and turn off the pilot light in summer months

Ensure your fireplace is properly sized for your heating needs, check the fireplace efficiency, and select direct-vent gas fireplaces (instead of power vent, natural draft or vent free ones). Note that decorative fireplaces are not designed to be a primary heat source and most decorative fireplaces are very inefficient. That said, by selecting an EnerChoice labelled fireplace, you'll be getting the top 25% efficient product in its category. For standing pilot fireplaces, you should turn the pilot off during non-winter months. Learn more on the Teresan Gas or BC Hydro website.

Find out more about heat pumps

A heat pump is an electrical device that extracts heat from one place and transfers it to another. Your heat pump provides year round climate control for your home by heating it in the winter and cooling it in the summer. Some types can even provide supplementary hot water heating. Whether you are thinking about an air-to-air or a ground source heat pump, visit NRCan and BC Hydro sites for a description of how heat pumps work, energy efficiency, sizing, installation, and other operational considerations.

Maximize your water heater's efficiency

In a typical Canadian home, heating water is the second largest energy user after space heating, accounting for up to 20% of total utility costs. The types of systems to consider when selecting a new water heater include storage tank water heaters, tankless water heaters, integrated space and water heating systems, heat pump water heaters, solar water heaters and heat recovery water pre-heaters. Find out how to compare water heaters and save money! For example, electric water heaters are rated for efficiency based on how much energy is lost by the tank to the surroundings. Visit BC Hydro, Teresan Gas and NRCan websites for loads of info and money saving ideas.

Air condition naturally

Vancouver's climate is such that most buildings do not need air conditioning. Windows, shading with blinds or plants and using fans can usually provide enough relief to create a comfortable indoor environment in the summer months. If you are considering air conditioning, check the EnerGuide Rating on the back of the manufacturer's brochures, and check the NRCan site for additional hints.

 

Maoz's showerheads

Maoz

Maoz owns an apartment building and recently purchased City of Vancouver water saver kits for all of his suites. In order to receive the kits Maoz asked all his tenants to sign a form saying they would install the showerheads and other water-saving items. Although he'll see some dollar savings from reducing the building's hot water heating costs, Maoz says what really motivated him was doing his part for the environment by creating a cleaner, greener, healthier apartment building..

District heating

Pumps at North Vancouver Utility

GVTV explores a more efficient way of heating, using a neighbourhood utility.