Vancouver 2010 BC Hydro Power Smart Village and Hockey Ticket Giveaway
Another pavilion powering the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games is the BC Hydro Power Smart Village. Located on Dunsmuir from February 10th until March 21st it will feature state of the art energy saving attractions and activities.
The Expression Wall
The digital Expression Wall is for anyone to colour, write, and create using an infrared marker.
Home of the Future
“A showcase for the latest in home conservation, from smart appliances and a solar garage housing a plug-in vehicle to a green wall and hybrid water heater.”
Club Energy
Featuring the Sustainable Dance Floor, an interactive floor that lights up the more you dance on it. “From Sustainable Dance Club, a company headquartered in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. It generates its own power by translating the vertical movement of the floor into electricity. If you’ve ever been to a dance club, you know how much the floor moves when a popular song comes on.”
The Volt
Chevrolet’s electric vehicle, the Volt, is also on display at the pavilion. I had the chance to ride in it the other morning and it was pretty amazing.
There will be daily dance lessons (from salsa to swing) and all out dance marathons for those who just want to get down and light up the floor. The Power Smart theatre will be showing daily Games coverage, there’s a featured Paralympic Games showcase, and a mobile conservation lab to teach you the ins and outs of saving electricity.
If you can’t make it out to the village, our friends at Social Signal have created the Power the Games Facebook application for BC Hydro, which you can add to your profile.
I haven’t been by yet but I’ll be heading there throughout the Games to check things out and maybe I’ll attempt to bust some sort of move out on that dance floor.
Price: Free
Hours: Feb 10-28 10:00am – 8pm weekdays and until 10pm Fri & Sat
Read more: Vancouver 2010 Pavilions and Hospitality Houses and all posts in my tag: pavilions.
Olympic Ticket Giveaway
BC Hydro Power Smart Village has generously offered up two tickets to one lucky Miss604.com reader for the Men’s Semi-Final Ice Hockey game February 26th at Canada Hockey Place.
There are three ways you can enter to win these tickets:
or
or
Enter to win Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey tickets from @Miss604 & @PowerSmartBC http://bit.ly/a5VPCJ #van2010
You can combine A, B, and C for 4 entries or just enter individually however you choose. I’ll calculate all the entries and I’ll do a live draw at the Power Smart Village at 10:00am on Saturday February 20th at the Club Energy dance floor. Contest will close at noon Friday February 19th so that I have time to put all the entries together for the draw.
Update February 16, 2010 The re-tweet tracking system (Tweetmeme) only archives tweets for 7 days. Since the contest runs for 8 days, do not be alarmed if you see your original/early entry no longer on the re-tweet list. I have already archived the first 6 days so no entries will be lost at all.
Update February 19, 2010 The contest closed at 12:00pm today and all entries (by Flickr, Twitter or comment) were received. I will compile all participants into one master spreadsheet list and do the draw tomorrow morning from the Power Smart Pavilion at 10:30am. Feel free to stop by for the draw as the winner will have to collect their tickets from there regardless.
Update February 20, 2010 I have to stay close to home this morning so I’ll post video of the draw online at 10:30am so all can see the draw.
Update February 20, 2010 I did the draw this morning and recorded a video of the process. Unfortunately the sound didn’t work but to avoid a re-draw here is the video anyway:
Thanks to my mom for helping me compile all 1405 entries that came in through Flickr, Twitter and comments. Also, thank you to everyone for entering and sharing some awesome tips. Congratulations to @WayneRacine on Twitter. Wayne, you have 24 hours to confirm your prize and I have sent you a Direct Message about this.
Fine print: Tickets are for the 12:00pm semi-final game on February 26, 2010. Commenters must enter a valid email address and confirm within 24 hours of notification that they can use their prize. Twitter users will also have 24 hours to confirm their winnings and will be notified by “@” or direct message. Tickets can be picked up from the Power Smart Village with valid government ID. Ticket may not be used in any other contests. If the winner cannot attend another name will be drawn.
579 Comments — Comments Are Closed
I installed an electronic and programmable thermostat in my apartment to cut down on heating costs…
Nooooooooooooooooooo! I was waiting for this contest! So can you confirm for sure it is for the 12:00 pm game? That is the USA game if they qualify, NOT the Canada game which is later in the day if they qualify.
Please confirm! 🙁
I installed a programmable thermostat so we’re not heating our home when we’re out!
My Power Smart tip – buy green electronics!
Thanks! Jan
I’ve got all my gadgets plugged into a power bar, and I switch it off when I’m not using it!
Shutting all blinds during the day prevents heat dissipation from windows.
This summer I chose to replace almost all the lights in my condo with CFL lights. If I ever event did notice a difference I certainly don’t anymore…well other then I know I will see a difference on my power bill!
I continue to change the others as they burn out. I was a little lazy and didn’t take the ones of of the ceiling of the hallway as that meant I’d have to wash the cover 😉
Hi
I converted all my incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescents
Cheers
Ryan
Replaced my 15 year old washer and dryer with new high efficient front loaders.
We turn the furnace off completely every night to cut down on heating costs and energy consumption.
The heat in my apartment has NEVER been turned on. I stay bundled up in blankets and sweaters, when it gets cold.
We replaced all of the bulbs in our home with energy efficient bulbs and replaced all exterior lights with solar powered ones!
If you leav a room for more than 23 seconds, turn the lights off!
Added CFL lights to all light fixtures in the house and put a reminder by my puter to shut it off when I am done at the end of the day lol
Power Smart Tip: If you are cold…save power, don’t turn on the heat…put on your cozy Canada hoodie instead!
Instead of cranking up the heat this ‘winter’, I put an extra sweater on instead!
I turn off all my lights. Stuck “Power Smart” stickers by light switches.
I Wash cloths with cold water when ever possible
Replaced the lights both at home and at the cabin. Energy Star appliances when redoing the suite. Im always looking to cut electricity at the cabin. Such a waste. Also unplug anything with a digital clock, LED or anything that slowly, but surely uses trickles of electricity.
i got energy efficiant light bulbs yayyyyy !!!
Turn down the furnace and wear a sweater, even if it means shivering at home.
I have energy star appliances and low flow/high efficiency toilets.
We turn down the heat and just wear extra layer of clothes.
We turn of the heat at night and just replaced our hot water heater with a more efficient. We also stopped giving the kids baths (kidding).
Not only I wash all my laundry in cold water but I always car pool with friends and family when going out and swtich off all my power bars that connect to my TV sets and computers when not in use.
I heat my house with a woodstove!
All of our household lights use the energy efficient light bulbs which last longer and are more environmentally friendly.
I make sure to turn off all the light/power sources daily (including computer and tv as they just idle power when they are off)
I also have changed my lights to the CFL bulbs 🙂
I have installed lighting controls like dimmers and timers which allow me to control the amount of lighting in an area and have it turn on just for the time it is needed.
I am teaching my 2 young boys to always turn off lights when they leave a room. My 2 young boys remind me to do the same! 🙂
I pretend I live in a cave and don’t turn on lights after dark.
Simply turning off the lights of any room I’m not in is “Power Smart”
We turn off TVs when not used and receivers during the night so it doesn’t waste power over the times we sleep. We also lower the thermostat and put on an extra blanket/comforter to save energy.
Unplugging my electronics when I go on vacation.
Powersmart Tip: Change the desktop settings on your computer to turn off the display when you walk away from your computer for more than 5 minutes!
And make it “sleep” when you do too!
I stay at school late at night and use their electricity, water, and internet since its’ always open anyways.
Upgraded to on-demand water heater.
We always wash full loads on laundry in a front-loading washer – and always use cold water!
I wear an extra sweater or two around the house so I don’t have to turn the heat up if it’s cold!
In Europe many of the hotels have a keyholder for your magnetic stripe key. The lights will only turn on if your key is in the holder. That way when people aren’t in the room, the lights are always off. Genius!
Close the curtains every night – and program the heat to be lower while everyone’s sleeping!
I always turn the heat off at night and turn off all unnecessary lights.
Powersmart Tip: Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use. Computers typically draw anywhere from 60 to 300 Watts of power when on. That’s like leaving 3 to 15 CFL bulbs running all the time!
We switched all of our light bulbs to the power save ones and I only wash clothes in cold water. We also only use a wood burning stove to heat our house in winter.
Tip: unplug un-used devices because they draw phantom power even when they’re off.
I am always un-plugging things at home and around the office. This includes making my co-workers crazy by turning out the lights in the boardroom when it’s not in use. Why do we keep the lights on when there isn’t anyone in the room??
Go! Canada Go!
PowerSmart Tip – Electric baseboard heating – we only heat whichever rooms we’re using at a given time.
Like Ryan Kesler, when it’s cold out, I just put on a sweater rather than turning up the thermostat. I always turn lights off in rooms that aren’t being occupied. I also unplug electronics that aren’t being used.
Turn off your lights when you leave the room and turn off your computer at night. Go Canada!
PowerSmart tip: urn off all the lights whenever we leave a room and unplug/turn-off any electronics that are not in use. Basic but it’s surprising how many people don’t do it! Go Canada!, Cheers
I hang dry all my clothes instead of using the dryer.
We installed a high efficiency furnace and heat pump this year, and replaced all our bulbs in the house with CFL. Our computers are shut off after each use as well! GO CANADA GO!
We unplug appliances when they aren’t in use, we never leave our cell phone chargers plugged into the wall and we turn our computer off at night.
My powersmart tip is to unplug your transformers when you’re not using them. All the cell phone chargers that use power even when the phone isn’t plugged in sure do add up!
My house installed window covers to cut down on the use of our inefficient baseboard heaters.
@VancityAllie – the tickets are for the 12:00pm game and it is the semi-final.
Wherever you feel cold air coming in around a window or door, you have a leak and warm air will escape through the same gap. Drafts are costly, can cause discomfort and energy is wasted. Sealing gaps and cracks with caulking and weather stripping is one of the most cost-effective steps you can take to keep the heat inside your home, reducing heat loss by 5-10%.
Keep the heater low and wear more sweaters.
I put on warm clothes or curl under my blankets instead of turing on the heat.
When the sun co-operates, we run our household off our solar panels.
Got the LED light bulbs!!
I walk around behind my kids turning off their lights and reminding them turn off their lights, which is more powersmart than doing it myself I think.
And we just upgraded to a more energy efficient hot water heater.
We have a programmable thermostat and also unplug appliances like coffee makers, toasters, hairdryers and blenders when they are not in use!
I make sure that I always turn off the lights when I leave a room.
We have installed dimmer switches around the house, use LED lighbulbs and line dry our clothes!
I wash my clothes in cold water & hang to dry and bundle up instead of turning the heat on!
we’ve got a programmable thermostat and I’m always switching off lights around the house (2 kids that LOVE to switch light switches on and off)
Thanks so much, Rebecca – and we couldn’t have created Power the Games without the superb design and development chops of the Work at Play team!
I always wash in cold, saves energy and clothes are still clean. Its actually better for your fabrics anyways
I always turn of all the ligths and the heating before leaving home.
This year I threw out all the old Christmas lights and replaced them with LED lights.
Installed fluorescent light bulbs throughout our apartment.
We replaced all of our light bulbs with CFLs and never leave lights on if we’re not in the room/at home.
I unplug everything when I go away for the weekend!
I installed dimmer switches on our lighting, bathroom fan timers and turned the hot water temperature down. Great to see everyone else’s tips.
I’ve installed a programmable thermostat in my apartment and limit my showers to 10 minutes or less (boy = less hair = decreased shampoo time).
Front loading clothes washer. Always fill the DW to overflowing, and run around turning off the 400 lights my kids leave on when they go to school
Replaced our mediacentre PC with a much lower power consuming PVR for recording TV shows.
My grandma gives me a homemade quilt every 4 years. Therefore, there is a blanket in every single room of my house – great for snuggling and keeping the thermostat down.
We’ve replaced all the lights in the house with CFLs and replaced the Christmas lights with LEDs. As we do any remodelling, I plan to try to replace our current lights with LEDs where ever possible.
We wash our clothes in cold water, line dry them and have changed all our lightbulbs to energy efficient bulbs.
Unplugging all of my appliances when not in use, especially those like that have digital clocks on them.
I’ve been a Power Smart member since I moved to my place in North Van 1.5 years ago. Since then my energy consumption has decreased by 34%! and I’m well on my way to exceeding the 10% reduction target. There are a lot of small changes we made that add up over time. The key is to start simple (change to CFLs instead of regular light bulbs) and as you actually see your consumption go down (and your $$ bill go down) use the savings to invest in smarter/ slightly more challenging energy saving changes (like hang drying your clothes)!
Also, watching Olympic hockey live-and-in-person saves the electricity of running your tv and having friends over to your house, so the tickets could help me further reduce my energy consumption!!!
I’ve replaced all my lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Saves energy and gives nice, white, clear light!
One of the first things we did when we moved in was install programmable thermostats and timers for the bathroom fans.
I wash in cold water and always turn the heat down when I’m not home… in BC, it’s not so hard to do! Just throw on a hoodie and we’re all warmed up. 🙂
We’ve been very conscious of our power consumption this year. We’ve replace bulbs with cfl’s, we’ve lowered the heat in our place, and we always make sure to turn lights off whenever we’re not using them. We set our computers to go to sleep and reduce power usage automatically. When we’re out of town we unplug everything to reduce ‘vampire’ energy consumption… The web hosting company I use for my website is a green host. They buy offsets for all the energy my server uses… Beyond pure electricity we recycle everything we can and don’t even own a car. You could say we’re very ‘power smart’.
I turn my thermostat lower to save electricity and try to turn off lights when not being used.
We have made a conscious effort this year to be more power smart… unplugging small appliances when not in use (like coffee makers and toasters), replacing all old light bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs and we’re about to invest in new windows!
We turn off the heat and snuggle in blankets to keep warm! I also got rid of my car and take transit/walk 🙂
CFLs throughout the house, and run the dishwasher only when totally full.
I turn off any lights not in use, changed all our bulbs to more efficient lights, have energy star appliances!
I’ve not only been Power Smart at home, but I educate my friends when I’m over at their place.
Hey Al, “Do you need to keep the light on in the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen while your sitting watching tv in the living room? Conserve power and turn off the lights; it’s going to run your bill and you’ll just have to replace them quicker!”
Borrowed an appliance electricity tester from the North Van City Library and will see which of our appliances/electronics use a non-trivial amount of electricity when turned off but plugged in, and work on moving those to power bars.
Powersmart tips: I installed programmable thermostats in my house, which has made a huge difference in energy use. I also wash all my clothes in cold water. In fact, the hose for hot water is turned off.
Bought an energy-star dishwasher and use the “econo” setting, replaced the lightbulbs with energy efficient, keep the heat down, and turn off all lights when not in the room!
We’ve changed all our lightbulbs to CFLs and my office just installed motion detectors that turn off the lights when the office is unoccupied.
I work at home so turn down the heat and throw on the big sweater as soon as everybody else leaves. On the really cold days I’ve been known to bring out the fingerless gloves so I can keep typing in comfort!
I stopped playing my electric bass and rock out on the acoustic these days. Goodbye amplification!
Powersmart tip: I make sure that if im not in a room, there is not light on in there. I dont let the tv run if im not watching it. I installed small lamps with energy efficient bulbs for when i read as opposed to having larger lights on. 🙂
i have timed showers. i may be stinky but it’s mother nature who benefits!
We run the dishwasher at night, off peak electricity use times.
Do all laundry in large, full loads in COLD water!
I attach my chargers and other non-essential electronics to a power bar so that I can turn them off completely when not in use. (A plugged-in charger still draws power, even when not charging something…)
Just this week we installed three band new windows in our home. It was important that they each had the “EnergyStar” label, which insures the windows provide superior energy performance
Hanging out downtown more during the Olympics = less time spent at home with the lights on!
Weather stripping windows is the easiest thing to do (and cheap!). It’s definitely helped reduce the draft and heating bills. There’s a lot of kits you can pick up at any hardware store.
I started out real simple – turn off all lights when leaving a room. I then started adding things like switching all our lights to CFL, using the cold water cycle to do laundry and line drying clothes in the summer. We also bought all energy-efficient applicances, keep the heat down in our condo, turn it off completely when we’re not home and unplug small appliances when not in use.
We turn the heat way down overnight and keep it pretty low during the day (Sweaters!) and only use fluorescent bulbs now!
I dry my clothes on a clothesline across my living room!
Ensure that you not only turn off, but UNPLUG all electronics when not in use. Remember, if there’s a connection being made, electricity is being used!
We installed double glazed windows, which means our nighttime thermostat is set at only 15 degrees. Daytime? We only need to top it up to 17 or 18.
Home lighting converted to CFL, weather stripping, window upgrades. Also got an energy audit done.
When I leave the house I turn everything off, everything has to be Eco frienddly and I turn off the water when not using it 🙂
I replaced our analog baseboard heater control with a digital control that lowers the heat in my house when we are not home.
My family has installed several new long life flourescent bulbs in our overhead lights and lamps and I have a power smart cord bar for my computer and accessories and place my computer on Stand by to save energy or I turn it off completely, usually late in the evening, until I need it the next day. We are also good at recycling or donating things we no longer need. We wash most of our clothes in cold water we try not to shower everyday when not necessary and bundle up in blankets when watching TV. My family LOVES hockey and I hope to surprise them if I am fortunate to win, LOL!
I only heat water when needed at home.
Unplug all electrical appliances when not in use.
Purchased new energy efficient washer and dryer…and turn the lights off as much as possible. We also reduced to one car for the family.
I turn off all the lights, electricity before I leave. I am walking every day to work during the Olympics!
wash clothes in cold and hang to dry; use natural light as much as possible – taking advantage of large, south-facing windows; and rarely use the heat – cause the apartments around us seem to radiate enough heat for them and us!
I replaced a server that is on 24×7 with a low power CPU, enabled power saving features and installed an high efficiency power supply.
I wash all my laundry in cold water and hnag 99% of it to dry. Also, after watching the promo with Fin and the Canucks I unplug my cel phone charger from the wall when I am not charging my phone. Thanks Fin 🙂
I’ve switched entirely to energy-saving lightbulbs, I’ve weeded out my unnecessary appliances and I make sure I unplug all remaining small kitchen appliances when not in use.
NEw low flo toilet in rennovated bathroom!
All my lightbulbs are the energy efficent and I still turn them off as I leave the room. Wash with cold water, and hang to dry most of my clothes. Compost. Recycling. I am so green!
I turn urn of the lights when I leave the room, purchase energy efficient appliances, use the cold water cycle on the washing machine and switched to CFL light bulbs.
Make sure you unplug ALL electronics when you are not using them. Don’t just leave the TV on if you’re in the other room. Also, don’t leave the light on as well if you are not in the room!
Shade your windows! According to PowerSmart’s website, heat loss in this way could result in 10%-25% of your winter heating bill. And all you gotta do is pull the blinds.
My Husband is an energy advisor, thus we try to be eco friendly as possible. latest to our house is eco friendly washers and dryers!
I turn off my monitor and not leave it on standby if I’m going to be away for awhile. I also unplug chargers that arent being used.
What an opportunity to be able to see Olympic hockey!!!!!
My tip is turning off power bar when I go out and unplug coffeemaker with timer.
Turned down the heat and added blankets to every room,
adjusted power saving on monitors
purchased a new stove, dishwasher, microwave/range and washer dryer that are energy efficient.
We only use energy efficient bulbs and I wash all my clothes in cold water!!! 😀
Only turn on the lights when they are needed…. Same with other appliances and equipment. Hang dry vs machine dry. Air dry vs dishwasher dry. Etc etc
I unplug as many things as I can when they’re not in use.
We turn off the lights every time we leave rooms, unplug electric staff
when we don’t use them. We share 1 TV and 1 computer (family of 4..).
I always turn off lights when I’m not in a room. We also reduce the thermostat at nights. I always do laundry in cold water.
Sounds great!
I try to be as power smart as possible. But most of all I try to educate family and friends by setting an example. It is important to lead the younger generations onto a brighter future. it sounds cheesy but it’s true
I unplug my stereo and tv/dvd player so they don’t idle all night. I also do all my laundry in cold water
Do the laundry in cold water. It apparently saves 10% of the total electricity usage in a home.
Ever since i was little Grampa would never leave a lite on in an empty room even for a short time, i am the same way still.
turn off the heat and wear a sweater or use a blanket.
We’ve replaced all our lightbulbs with CFLs, turn down the heat during the day while we’re gone (as well as all our lights), and always do laundry in cold water!
Turn down the heat and wear a sweater or use a blanket while watching TV.
I encourage my co-workers to turn off their computers at the end of the day.
We use powersmart lightbulbs!
We keep the heat at 65 and use blankets
We do not use fresh towels daily for showering. We turn the computer off when not in use and all lights when leaving the house!
I try to turn the lights out whenever possible. I also went through my apartment and replaced the majority of lights with CFL (compact fluorescent lights).
Just finished a bathroom reno and installed a new dual flush toilet. We also use CFL light bulbs and a programmable thermostat.
I’ve switched entirely to energy-saving light bulbs and reduced our electric by hanging our clothes out on a line during the summer.
i installed smart surge protecters that eliminate phantom/vampire power
changed all my lights to CFL’s, replaced my old furnace with a high efficiency one as well as well as my washer and dryer
I use fluorescent light bulbs, instead of the incandescent ones.
All of the lights in our house are now CFLs.
I keep my thermostat off at all times and wear my ski outfit, toque, double socks, and gloves when I’m at home.
No, really, I turn off the heat whenever I leave, am in the process of replacing the remainder of lights with CFL, oh, and I love Vancouver tapwater.
Go Canada!
I turn off lights, keep the heat WAAYY down and bundle with blankets, and I turn off and unplug appliances and electronics.
Go Canucks! I Mean Go Canada!
AWESOME!!!
I do a lot to be power smart, as we live in California. Our heater is never set above 62 degree’s. I only do laundry 1 day a week. I often use a quick rotisserie machine instead of turning on the oven for prolonged time. We keep all lights off in the house except the room(s) that we are using. We keep our curtains closed to keep heat/air inside. We have had our home professionally weatherproofed to save on energy costs.
We do much more as well.
Switching all lightbulbs to CFLs, turning off light & electronics when not at use, using cold water to wash clothes as well as hang drying as much as possible.
GO CANADA!
Great contest!
Powersmart tip: turn the lights off when you’re not using them immediately, instead of waiting and walking around the house. Every second counts!
I always turn off the lights, i only buy power smart electronics and keep the thermostat down and put on a extra layer of clothes.
I wash all my clothes in Cold Water and always turn off the light when I leave a room.
No matter how cold or wet I am I always toss on a sweater instead of turning on the heat. I’m a electricity drill sergeant in my house. Lights out!
Unplugged all unused electronics that were plugged into the wall, as well as using CFL light bulbs.
I turn off all the moniters in my office before leaving work for the day!
This is such an awesome contest – bet of luck to all who enter.
I line dry my clothing when possible (shakes fist at all the rain!) – Wash my all my clothes in cold water – turn off the lights when I leave a room, turn off my computer when I’m not using it. Plus I have a programmable thermostat and the temperature goes way down in the evening, and turns off again after I leave for work. – There are so many tihngs that I do to become power smart and conserve power, I dont want to take up your blog with what I do.
I also tweeted, and posted some shots I took recently in Richmond at the O-Zone and during the Torch Relay.
This winter, I installed a programmable thermostat and I figure I saved about 19% of my heating costs.
started to unplug power bar adapters that have chargers/tvs/stereos/computer when i leave the house
I turn the heat down when I leave the house, switch light bulbs to CFLs, turn lights on only in the room that I’m in instead of many. Let’s show our spirit, Vancouver and Canada!
Linked you up in tomorrow’s Canuck Huddle!
I changed my old light bulbs to energy conserving light bulbs
I have been turning down my heat by 2-3 degrees and unplugging appliances at night. So far I am 23% less than last year.
Unplug plugs when not in use!
my students and i agreed to turn our classroom thermostat down and wear sweaters or hoodies if we’re cold!
Turn down the heat when I’m not in the house
Thermostat kept turned off in the main apartment. Programmable thermostats in each bedroom means less than 4 hours of heat on per day if – and ONLY if – it is cold enough.
Changed all my lightbulbs and I turn off lights when I don’t use ’em. 🙂
I make sure to turn off and unplug appliances that I am not using, switch off lights I am not using and use energy saving light bulbs.
With the mild winter we’ve had, we have refrained from turning on the heat. Kids don’t even complain about being cold anymore… they just dress in extra layers!
I using insulation I wrapped my hot water tank.
Since changing over all of our lightbulbs to CFL bulbs we have seen a good reduction in the size of our energy bill compared to the previous year.
Converted to pellet stove for heat. CFL’s for lighting.
& turn off lights when not in the room.
I put timers on the thermostats at home so when nobody is home during the day we’re not wasting precious electricity heating a house for nothing.
Cheers, hope I get the tix!
Over the past two years i’ve not once turn the heat on, went from driving to bussing to walking to work, put a brick in the toilet tank – which is already low flush, and work for an ISO 14001 certified organization.
I unplug all my cell phone and ipod charges when I’m not using them.
I turn off the water when brushing my teeth so it is not wasted and only do laundry with cold water.
We have an energy star washer/dryer. makes quite a difference to our bill.
Turn off your computer and unplug your electronics at night.
we always use energy saving light bulbs and turn lights of every time we exit a room.
I’ve replaced all bulbs, including my kids night lights, with energy efficient and LED types. Cellphone chargers and small appliances are unplugged when not in use. Toilets and shower heads are high efficiency and as a mom home with toddlers all day, the TV is never used as background noise and we try not to watch much of it at all.
I unplug all tings not in use like toaster, lamps, etc.. I replaced all bulbs with energy efficient bulbs. Always looking 4 new ways to do better 🙂
I always do laundry in cold water. Always turn off lights where I’m not in and turn down thermostat at night.
I used the home owners grant to replace inefficient windows…and turned down the heat.
We open the blinds and let the sun warm even the shadiest nooks in our apartment. We use Air Dry on the dishwasher, energy efficient light-bulbs, timers, and the cold laundry cycle. only.
I put in a new energy efficient furnace when our old one quit
Thanks!
We replaced all of the bulbs in our home with energy efficient bulbs.
Power Smart Tip: Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
We have changed almost all of our light bulbs to energy efficient ones, we have put plastic on our windows to stop drafts and
We have changed almost all of our light bulbs to energy efficient ones, we have put plastic on our windows to stop drafts, wear sweaters instead of turning up the heat and recycle anything and everything we can (because it uses less energy to reuse the old glass or metal than creating something new)! I would really love to go to the game, thanks for holding this contest!
blankets and jackets … no need for excessive home heating
we put in a digital thermostat turn off our heat at night and while we’re out of the house. also bought an energysaving fridge but i think they all are these days? 🙂
I’ve put our heater system on a timer in our design studio, that way we’re toasty only when we need to be and we don’t waste energy.
I think our office mouse population might be feeling the chill though.
We turn the furnace off completely every night and every time we go out of the house .
Let’s see. We replaced our 40-yr old furnace with a new ultra-high-efficiency furnace. And got a programmable thermostat. Oh! & have replaced our halogen bulbs in the kitchen with led lights. Super efficient!
I’m all about turning off lights when they’re not in use. And computers. And we have extension cords that you can turn off when not in use. And, as always, our thermostats are way down and we layer like crazy! This is Vancouver, there’s not the same need for heat here as there is in the rest of the country. Invest in a few good blankets and good quality slippers and you’re set!
Replaced all lights in our house with cfls, new high efficiency furnace, turns lights off when not in the room/during the day.
I always wash my laundry in cold water, full loads, and try to hang them to dry in the winter, but always in the summer. Candles also provide light, heat, and ambiance!
I always put on a sweater when cold instead of just turning up the thermostat and I wash all our clothes in cold water as well. It saves money and it’s better for your clothes anyway!!!
Awesome contest by the way… I wasn’t able to “afford” any Olympics event tickets so it would be great to be able to see an event!
Cheers!
Upgraded to LED pot lights…and continuing to turn off lights in all unoccupied rooms!
I use cold water to wash my clothes, I hang my clothes to dry more often than not, I stuck a brick in the water tank of the toilet, I replaced my lighting with CFLs, and I recently went around and collected all my friends and family’s old computers for recycling.
Turning off all the lights and heat before I leave for work. Cats have fur and they see better in the dark anyway 😛
Figure out what you want to eat/drink before you open the fridge, yo.
We put in some energy saving light bulbs
After you charge your phone, camera, iPod etc, be sure to unplug your charger and save energy!
Make sure to unplug your utilities when not in use and turn your lights off when not in the room.
Power Smart Tip: Using energy saving light bulbs… and opening the window whenever possible for fresh air + natural light.
So good to see so many people doing their part!
[…] I launched a contest with BC Hydro Power Smart to win tickets to a men’s ice hockey semi-final […]
lowering thermostat, star energy appliances and cold water laundry!
Turn off lights when we leave a room – and explain to my young sons why it’s important
A programmable thermostat and weather stripping our windows has saved so much $$$!!!
Go Canada! It’s such an honour to be hosting the games – let’s show the world what we’re made of!
A Friend told me that cell phone charges draw power even if there just plugged in and not charging the phone, lol. So this is one thing I’ve stopped doing. 😀
It’s a small thing, but I always turn off lights as I leave the room. Also, I have powerbars on each of our desks and turn off the power to everything when done with it.
Every since I was a little baby I would watch hockey with my Dad in my swing-o-matic! Whenever he would cheer my little hands would go up. The best thing would be to go to this game with my Dad. Because of him I’m a huge sports fan! Go Canada Go!!! I couldn’t be more excited for the Olympics to be in my city 🙂
Did you know that LED lights are 95% more energy effecient than regular lights! That’s why you should buy LED Christmas lights to light up your home in red and white during the Olympics!
Currently working on energy savings at my work, porposing a reduction in energy usage to reduce our carbon footprint.
I won’t promote the company publicly at the moment as we are still testing and I don’t want to breach any privacy issues.
Also any green initiatives are well worth the endeavor no matter how big or small, believe in BC it’s beautiful here.
Cheers
We replaced our washer and drier with a new Front loading stackable unit that uses 75% less power than our old set.
replace my old top loading washing machine with a energy efficient top loader
Select EnergyStar appliances when replacing your old appliances and wash dishes by hand in a filled basin of water, with the tap shut off.
Oh where to start…
We replaced all our lights with CFLs
installed a programmable thermostat
replaced our washer & drier with front loaders
doubled the insulation in our attic
replaced all our windows & doors
replaced our furnace with an energy efficient model
Oh, and we have so many computers running that they keep the house warm and the furnace hardly ever runs 😉
We changed our all appliances to the Energy Star qualified. We also installed energy saver GE lightbulbs which uses less Watts. 🙂
Replaced all the house lights with energy efficient bulbs and turn off the lights when not in the room/not at home
Unplug items that waste power on idle!
I’ve always been quite energy saving conscious ever since the energy crisis of the 1970s!
Have had CFL bulbs for years, turning off lights, cold water loads, etc.
I will watch the olympics in the dark and cheer for Canada, wearing my leopard print snuggie!
powersmart entry – I buy only compact fluorescent light bulbs
I bought energy star rated appliances for my new kitchen as well as my washer/dryer!
Yay for smaller hydro bills and new appliances!
(we also use energy saving bulbs at home. =))
Plug electronics into power bars and turn off the power bars at night.
Also intstalled timers for the bathroom fan.
Since it’s so spring-like and warm, I’ve turned down the electric heater thermostat, and warded off chill with a nice sweater. Also, I sleep the computer every time I leave it, and turn off the external monitor.
My programmable thermostat keeps my furnace set fairly low when not at home and has us at a comfortable level when we are there.
How I’ve been powersmart: 1)I’ve renovated our bathroom to use a low flow shower heads to minimize use of hot water 2) replaced light bulbs with new energy saving bulbs.
We have our laptops, TV and peripherals plugged into power bars so that when we’re not using them we can easily ensure that everything is turned off.
I conserve energy at home and the office by unplugging anything this is not in use including cell phone charges. Turning off monitors is also a big one around the office
I hope I win!!
Do laundry before 4 PM or after 8 PM. Between that time is when they have a spike in energy usage. Using it later or early saves you some money in the end.
I take short showers and turn off lights I’m not using
I borrowed an energy meter from the Burnaby public library to check all the consumption in my house! We are already very aware of how much energy we are consuming, but using the meter will help us that much more to be green. Who out there knew they could borrow an energy meter from the library on your library card!?! (BTY, I tried to submit for a long while last night but the site was not working. I’m glad it’s back!)
I’m teaching my four year old son to turn off lights we don’t need, turn off the TV and music if we aren’t watching or listening, and to wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat! We have energy-star appliances thanks to my awesome landlords, and wash clothes with cold water. As often as possible clothes air-dry.
Switched to CFLs and wear a hoodie to bed instead of turning on the thermostat.
Replaced the light switches with timers so the kids don’t leave the lights on forever! Also installed a programmable thermostat and put those foam things under the outside doors to prevent heat leak!
We always turn off lights in rooms unless we are in them, including the hallway.
use a space heater for each room instead of heating the whole house.
turn down the heat at night or when we go to bed ,turn down the thermostat on the hot water tank power down computers when not in use and switch all light bulbs to more efficent CFL’S
Use a clothesline to sundry my cloths, if it does not rain.
Put on a sweater and turn down the thermostat.
Take show instead of bath.
Use a toaster oven instead of a large oven…..
Turn off all powerbars when devices not in use… Don’t turn on the heater, set fire to the carpets…
I barely use any heat in my house.
[…] the success of my first two contests (one which is still ongoing) BC Hydro has asked me to make another contest announcement this afternoon. They have two tickets […]
We’ve replaced all our lightbulbs with high efficiency bulbs and also programmed our thermostat to conserve heat and energy during the day!
Extra blankets and sweaters, rather than turning up the heat.
keep drinking water in the fridge so you dont have to run the tap water extra just to get it cold.
Rather than just turning them off, I unplug all my electronics (tv, computer) when I’m not using them.
I stopped using my microwave!
I unplug my iphone and laptop chargers when not in use and turn off lights when I leave the room.
installed a programmable thermostat
We have used a programmable thermostat for about 20 years, we have converted to energy efficient washer and dryer and installed Energy Star microwave and dishwasher. Energy efficient two stage electric furnace, new insulation (6″ walls) and energy saving windows installed with renovtions ( before gov’t rebate program).
I unplug electronics at my home and at work.
Power smart tip – Turn all the lights off when I leave a room. Unplug my laptop when not in use.
I hang my laundry to dry instead of using the dryer.
I don’t just leave my laptop plugged in all day, I unplug it when it doesnt need to be charged. I also always make it a point to turn off the lights, when I leave a room.
I cook meals for a few nights all at once so I use less power.
Lights off when not in the room
Before I go out I turn everything off in the house! Lights, electronics etc. I will even unplug electronics from the wall!
I use a toaster oven instead of the big oven.
I keep a small refrigerator and buy fresh food daily.
I rarely use my dryer. I have my clothes to dry.
I have on demand hot water.
I installed an energy efficient boiler heating system.
Plus if this is just all too amazing: I even keep my tires inflated.
I use a power bar for my computer which stops it from drawing in phantom power.
I have very short showers.
I always turn the lights off when I leave the room, and time my showers!
I only turn on the lights of the room I’m in.
I turn down the heat whenever I’m not at home and unplug all the appliances i don’t use 🙂
We actually just bought programmable thermostats for our apartment, and they rock!
Besides that, we always turn the lights off when leaving, and make sure our kids know why they do it as well.
Keep the contests coming!
I always turn the lights off after 10p.m. & enjoy walking wherever I go.
There is even no dryer in my house! So I hang my clothing to dry.
Unplugging items when they are not in use (toaster, chargers, etc).
Buh-bye phantom power!
Pop on a sweater and turn down the heat. And turn the heat off when you’re out during the day!
I keep power smart by training my eyes to adapt to darkness quicker, this way I can move around without turning on a single light. haha jk
I’ve replaced my bulbs with energy efficient bulbs, make sure to turn off the lights when I leave a room and keep water in the fridge so that I have cold water right away, and don’t have to run the tap until the water gets cold.
Nothing stays on standby in my house any more, everything is turned off when I’m not there. Also if no-one is in the room, then there is no need to have a light on in there!
I don’t turn on the heat but rather just wear more clothes.
Making sure electronics are up to date so they use less and making sure to unplug anything not in use
we got bchydro to pick up our old fridge and purchased a more energy efficient one
I live in the dark, I rarely have lights on which is pretty easy in glass condos. I also pay an extra $7.50 a month to have bullfrog power.
I have recently started unplugging appliances not in use in order to reduce the amount of energy wasted while they are plugged in!
I have also made sure the faucets are completely turned off so water is not wasted.
Hang your clothes outside to dry in the summer. In inclement weather, dry them in the dryer one load after another in one evening (a lot of energy is taken up heating the drum to begin with).
I keep it Power Smart in a simple, old-school way: I wear warm clothes indoors during the winter (to keep the heating electricity down), hang clothes out to dry instead of the dryer, and make sure to keep appliances off when not using them.
Cold fusion, baby!
I stopped leaving phone and camera battery chargers plugged it all the time. didn’t know before that they still consume energy.
We’ve set all of our thermostats down and have started wearing warmer clothes around the house to compensate. Great savings on our Hydro bill!
My Power Smart tip is to turn off lights when you leave a room.
My Power Smart tip is to unplug electronics when not in use.
I only wash full laundry loads in cold water and keep it to once a week.
I programmed my thermostat to turn the heat down while I’m at work
Turn down your thermostat a couple of degrees and wear extra layers at home! And also have it turned down when you go on vacation.
I turn off the lights as I leave the room. I’m conscious of how much hot water I use. I unplug appliances as much as possible.
My wife and I upgraded our furnace to a higher efficiency model.
We wash clothes in cold water & turn the thermostat down.We wear warm sweaters & slippers to keep warm.
We wash our clothes in cold water, never leave the thermostat on for long periods and have purchased energy efficient windows!
We swtiched all necessary lights to energy effiecient. The majority of our electricity for our house though is produced from Solar energy panels we have on the roof 🙂
Set an energy reduction goal eg 10% — and you can get $75 bucks off your Hydro bill after a year… see Team PowerSmart on the BC Hydro website.
My energy saving tip is all about awareness – turn out the lights when you’re leaving a room, turn down the thermostat when you’re out, sleeping, or even better don’t turn it on at all. Don’t leave computers on when you’re not using them, and invest in power bars that switch off. So many ways to go green!
We make use of power-bars to cut power to things like TV’s, DVD players, computer, etc when they aren’t being used, since they continue to draw power in their “off” state… noticed a big difference on the hydro bill!
This past fall we replaced all the light bulbs in our house with CFL bulbs and are using cold water for our laundry.
Upgrade your windows to energy efficient double pane ones. Put an exta layer of pink insulation in your attic.
power smart tip : wash only FULL loads of laundry, and hang to dry…. GO CANADA!!!
power smart tip: wash only FULL loads of laundry, in COLD water, and HANG to dry…GO CANADA!!
Turn off the lights…get romantic with candles 😉
I shut the computer off at night and unplug my chargers when not in use. 🙂
When we moved into our house six years ago, we replaced all the light bulbs with CFLs. We’ve only had to change them once in all that time!
i lower the thermostat when out of town, turn lights off when leaving rooms, and leave unused appliances unplugged.
Turn off lights that aren’t being used and unplug electronic appliance (toaster, hair dryer, computer, etc.) when not in use.
I use cold water for laundry and hang to dry. I don’t own a dryer.
Wash clothes in cold water and turn down the thermostat at night
We’ve programmed our thermostat so we only have a warm house when we’re there to appreciate it. We have energy efficient appliances and lightbulbs and we’ve weatherproofed our front door. Since we moved into our new place, it’s been great to see on our BC Hydro bills that we’re using far less energy than the people before us. They must have been so wasteful but it’s so easy to be powersmart!
Switched out all fixtures to CFL Bulbs, turn heat down at night, turn lights off in house in rooms that are not occupied
I’m power smart every day! Low lighting, always unplug alliances when not in use (yes, leaving them plugged in uses power!), lots of natural light, thermostat off or very low when I go away for a few days, quick showers etc. @TiaSparkles
Just installed dimer switches and Halogena Energy Saver Bulbs.
My family and I turn off the lights when they are not needed, have double pane windows and we turn down the heat and put on extra layers when it’s colder. =)
I have put my television, DVD player, and receiver all on the same power bar. I unplug the powerbar when I’m not using the TV to avoid the phantom power draw with just one simple unplugging….and I turn all the lights off when not in use and open blinds and curtains to use the natural light.
i recycle all the newspapers at work:)
I turn the lights off when not needed and use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Using a “smart power” bar to shut off all my computer and television equipment when I am not using them.
Hi, we just replaced our 20 year old washer & dryer with a new energy efficient set. As well all light bulbs have been replaced with the cfl bulbs.
I unplug my Espresso machine between uses. Hey, you gotta start somewhere!
Turn ALL power off at night.
I wash in cold water, line dry my clothing, I turn off the lights in rooms I am not using plus I turn down my heat on an auto timer for when I am not at home (work hours) and while I’m sleeping.
I’ve installed several programmable thermostats set to turn off the heat during the day and while sleeping.
We got a new front loader washing machine, power bars, low flow shower head.
i time my showers, 10 minutes maximum!
I had an ecoEnergy Retrofit evaluation and did the following upgrades: Added insulation throughout the house, upgraded all windows to ones with low-e glass, installed low flush toilets, upgraded to a high efficiency furnace and heat pump system with programmable thermostats, used CFL bulbs throughout the house, capped the fireplace, and upgraded the exterior doors.
We also turn off lights when they’re not in use. 🙂
We try to maximize our usage of natural daylight by opening up the blinds. Unplugging unused electronics (such as chargers and small kitchen appliances) also helps.
1. Reduce or eliminate the use of a dryer. Install a clothes line or buy clothes drying racks and hang-dry your clothes. 🙂 It’s the old-fashioned
way and the way I’ve always remembered it as a kid.
2. We use timers for lights and also set controlled thermostat.
3. Turn off and unplug any electric appliances or items when not in use.
Put a timer on bathroom fans.
Turn lights off when not in use.
Dry clothes by hanging.
I don’t have a car and use public transit or walk to my destinations everyday.
I leave the lights of my office off. Cheap mood lighting.
Replaced my old windows with high efficient ones.
I turn OFF the TV etc (not just leave in Standby)
I am Nattalia’s son Dante and I am a huge hockey fan, and it would be a dream come true to go to the semi- finals during the olympics. Before, I was horrible at conserving power but since I have joined your website; I now think twice about leaving things on when I am not using it. For example I always turn off the heat when I go to bed at night, turn off my bedroom light when I’m not in it, switch my computer so it using a lot less power when I dont use it and now I have started biking a lot instead of having my mom drive me places.
I really hope you pick me and I promise to continue being POWERSMART!
We turn the heat off every day when we are gone and at night when we are sleeping. Most important my kids are normally the first to remind everyone to turn the lights off before we leave in the morning. Teaching the next generation is as important as being power smart ourselves.
I turn off the lights when I’m not in the room and when other people forget.
1. I purchased an insulation blanket for my hot water heater.
2. Low flow shower heads.
3. Wash clothes in cold water.
4. Turn off lights when not in the room
1. High efficiency boiler in the last home reno.
2. Efficient bulbs everywhere in the house.
3. Insulation installed.
I use reusable bags at the grocery store. It’s better for the environment, plus I don’t have to deal with a big pile of plastic bags at home.
I turn off every light when I leave the house, and even unplug unused appliances to avoid using “phantom” energy.
Good contest!!
I use extra blankets instead of turning up the heat.
Just making sure that this is a different contest than the one at the PowerSmart Village as I’ve entered that one, too!
I’m powersmart by not leaving unused appliances plugged in and also by not owning a car.
Turn off the lights when you leave a room!
Dry our clothes on a drying rack. The norm in Europe. Saves wear and tear on clothes too, esp. jeans.
I have installed plastic on my windows to keep the heat in, and I always thow on an extra sweater instead of turning up the heat!
Turn off all my lights when not in use, unplug unused appliances, limit my dryer use and use reusable bags at the grocery store!
I wash clothes with cold water normally and hang to dry.
i use energy-saving bulbs all over the house.
We just replaced our hot water tank with an energy efficient one as well as re-seal/replace a lot of windows so the heat doesn’t get out (we have electric heating). I have a habit of unplugging things now and almost never turning a light on in parts of the house.
I installed programmable thermostats and set them to turn off when we’re away and asleep; also unplugged as many appliance plugs as possible (coffee maker, phone chargers etc).
Use the clothes dryer sparingly; run dishwasher + washer only when full; don’t use heat in the house — extra sweaters, socks and blankets work in our climate!
Switched to CFL’s and Used the Scheduling abilities in my computer to turn it off at night when it’s unused
Canada Hockey starts tonight. Any predictions?
CFL bulbs all around the apartment!
I turn off all the computers at my house when not in use and i turn off the water when I brush my
teeth 😛
It’s been so mild this winter that I find myself turning the heat off in my apartment most of the time to save energy. Also, when the sun is out I turn off all the lights and open the curtains to let the natural light flood my living room.
i exchanged all my light bulbs this year to energy-savers!
My favorite way to be power smart is to have blackout days at our house! This used to be my favorite when I was a kid and now my little girl loves pulling out the candles and reading or playing cards. It’s a nice break from the busy hum and buzz of computers, video games and the radio. Most importantly it helps us all to remember how important having electricity is and to treat it with respect (not consuming recklessly).
i had solar shades installed on our skylights – keeping it cool in the summer!
Unplug cords when you’re not using them (mobile phone chargers, coffee pots, etc.) so they don’t use phantom energy. Unplug bigger appliances when you’re going on a trip!
We never leave our computers on sleep mode, always a full power off and unplug them. Same with printers and photocopiers at work. My young children are in the habit of turning off the lights and tv when they are not in use, and also don’t leave the water running while brushing their teeth (I can’t take all the credit on the last thing, they learned that from Barney the dinosaur!).
CFL bulbs all around!
I turn off the lights,tv,computer when not in use and I don’t leave anything plugged that’s not connected to something! Also changed the lights at home to more energy efficient cfl bulbs!
We unplug everything when we’re not using it and for things that continuously run, such as the water cooler, we unplug them when we go away for more than a day.
We are also investing in a tankless water heater – when you turn on your hot water, it instantly heats it through coils, instead of keeping a full tank of water hot constantly! It saves on electricity and money!
Get an energy audit and follow through with improvements. Not just at home but office buildings too. One of my clients is http://LegendPower.com so this is great timing–tips are top of mind these days. Thanks for the fun contest!
I always sleep (or turn off) my computer when I’m not using it. I’m also big on washing clothes in cold water.
Use my computers power save mode and always unplug chargers from the wall when no in use.
Pick me pick me pick me please
I turn off the lights and the computers/printers @ work when leaving for the day, use space heaters when I’m cold, and keep the lights/heat off during the day @home when I’m @work. Using CFL bulbs in all lights, use cold water when washing clothes and ALWAYS hang to dry, use the dishwasher only when full, and have lights on timers when I’m away.
We turn off all lights not in use, eliminate “sleep” mode on the TV and computers by turning them off completely, and hang dry our clothing.
We usually hand wash our dishes.
We work hard at being power smart at home, and at work. In our tshirt business, we use minimal electric energy and do almost everything with old-fashioned hard work and elbow grease. Expensive machines would be more convenient, but we like the the personal touch and the minimal impact that old school techniques bring.
I changed over to compact fluorescent lights to save energy
My Power Smart tips are to always turn off all the lights when going out and unplugging anything that isn’t being used.
I replaced my bulbs with energy-efficient ones.
We have switched all of our lightbulbs to energy effecient lightbulbs. My husband and I also commute to work together and have a SmartCar. We also have a front loading energy efficient washing machine and try to do just one load of colours and one load of whites a week and use cold water washes.
I only eat vegetarian food. The energy consumed in raising animals for meat is immense compared to growing vegetables!
All bulbs have been replaced with energy efficient bulbs, all of our appliances are LG energy efficient models, heat goes way down at night and when we’re not at home. My husband and I share one car (though it is rarely used) – hubby rides his bike or takes transit to work, and I walk EVERYWHERE!
My evening lights are CFLs. Thermostats are programmable at minimum temperature during sleep and work hours and have weather stripping around the doors. AC adapters unplugged when not in use.
@Liz this is a Miss604 specific contest from Power Smart so I’ll have my own batch of tickets to give away this weekend.
Installed CFLs, although many have poor lifespans.
We have Power Smart appliances and use energy efficient bulbs.
Our whole family is now doing laundry on the cold cycle, and whenever possible the laundry dries on a line rather than an electric dryer.
Took several older, power-hungry computers to FreeGeek for recycling, and replaced them with a single, energy-efficient, computer.
Installed energy efficient light bulbs and always turn off everything before I leave the house. Also, grab a blanket instead of always turning on the heat.
Everything in my life is about reducing energy waste and living a cleaner, greener life. I work for a non-profit Environmental Stewardship company that ensures end-of-life products are recycled into new products. I drive an eco-friendly vehicle. Hubby walks to work and my son walks to school. I am a volunteer Director for a non-profit Seniors Housing Society that is ensuring our new 144 unit development is energy efficient. At home we recycle everything, and we compost all of the kitchen waste. We have an electronic thermostat programmed to reduce the temperature overnight and then turn it back up just before the alarms go off in the morning. We have CFLs in all our lamps. We just upgraded our kitchen to an energy efficient fridge and stove.
A few things: I’m now programmed to switch my computer monitor off whenever I am away from my desk for more than a few minutes (or even if it is a short absence).
We installed programmable thermostats so the heat is lowered at night and when we’re out of the office. We removed the electric radiator from our living room, since we’ve decided that we can just use the gas fireplace if things get too cold. Makes the room look better, too!
In addition to upgrading my washer and dryer to a more energy/water efficient front loading one. I’ve also replaced all the light fixtures to compact fluorescent lights to save energy. Most recently, I’ve purchased/replaced my coffee maker with a model that has a timer which I can program to turn-on and turn-off so as to not be drawing power 24/7.
GO-CANADA-GO!!!
Always turn off or use candles rather than lights when possible. Unplug anything not in use, and put on an extra layer rather than dial up the heat.
I shut my blinds during the day, and turn down the thermostat at night!
I use energy efficient lighting in my business and may never have to change a light bulb! 🙂
remember to turn off your computer (especially the monitor) when you’re not using it! if everyone at your office shuts off their monitor overnight, that alone could result in huuuuuuge energy savings!
hockeyhockeyhockey!
Unplug all items when not in use. Switch to cold water laundry detergent
Programmable thermostat at home. Turn off workmates power consumers when I leave for the day at work.
When I was little – my mother would always walk into a room and say “Turn off half these lights,” which didn’t make sense to me at the time because she would turn off all of the lights in the room. It was just her way of telling us to conserve energy. Today, I find myself saying the same things to my kids!
But on top of being aware of our Power usage, we have replaced all of our home bulbs with CFLs, put all lights on a timer, and installed an energy device to measure our home usage. (My hubby is a geek!) In the office, all lights and AC/HEAT are on an auto sensor. So, it automatically detects when you are in the office and turns the lights and heat on as needed.
I would LOVE to win Olympic Hockey tickets!
I put on more clothes and use more blankets instead of turning on the thermostat. I also use a clothes hanging rack to dry clothes versus using the dryer.
Belkin has introduced remote controlled power bars. One button shuts off six of the eight plugs. Two stay powered all the time. Ideal for home theaters, computers, etc, where appliances draw on the power grid even when shut off.
we changed to compact fluorescents in the office
I use a wood burning fire instead of turning on the furnace!
I use CFLs and programmable thermostats and my favorite color is green.
[…] Miss604 & PowerSmartBC “Hockey Ticket Giveawayâ€: […]
As corny as it sounds, I have been bustling around the house turning off lights after my family and thinking about the juice required to power up the games. Switch – Olympics – Smile – Repeat.
i got my first 465 hydro bill and fell out of my chair. once i was calm again, i called bc hydro, they gave me several recommendations. I implemented a couple of them. apparently 40% of a hydro bill goes directly to heating, and so:
a) i stopped turning my thermostat all the way off when i was not at home and then all the way back to 20 when i was in the house. this uses up a lot of power and is bad bad bad. apparently, keeping it at a base 16 is the recommended and then move between 16-20.
b) bought programmable thermostats to ensure i don’t forget to turn it back down to 16 when i am not home.
this cut my hydro bill in half, i am much happier. next step is to replace all light bulbs and work on some of those old appliances.
Turned off all the heated floors in the house when people aren’t at home…
My “power smart” tip is to unplug the toaster and all electronics. I didn’t know this before… but these electronics continue to draw electricity, even when you’re not using them! Best of luck to everyone who entered this contest. Go Canada, go!!!
I am always turning off extra lights and using low bulb lightbulbs. I would love to win Olympic Tix!!
I never turn the lights on! And I never have the heat on.. I dress in layers instead! And in the summer I avoid the ac and open the windows!
We have been using the wood fireplace instead of the furnace a lot of the time this winter.
We always turn the lights and electric heat off when we aren’t in a room.
Turn the heat off at night, and stay warm cuddled up in bed 🙂
Here are a few actions that I recently adopted to save electricity: When I head out of town for more than 2 days, I turn off my hot water tank (electric); I unplug my electronic devices as soon as they are charged; at work, at the end of the day, I shut off my co-workers monitors.
Remember to switch off and unplug electrical appliances when not in use. If you want to keep your computer on when you are not using it remember to set the power options to Energy Saving mode. Use blackle.com instead of google.com.
Turn down the heat in the house – turn up the heat in the hockey! Go Canada!
rememember to turn of lights when u leave the room, Use energy saving lightbulbs.
I unplug electronics when not in use, turn off the lights when leaving the room, and use energy efficient light bulbs.
I bought a lower power computer since I didn’t need the higher speed of a higher power one.
Unplug powercords to computers when not in use. They continue to draw electricity even if your computer is off.
Install programmable thermostats so heating is on only when you need it.
I wash all my laundry, all of it, in cold water only.
The best power smart tip to save electricity is to use motion sensitive lighting in the house. You can get light switches with motion sensors. So no more forgetting to turn off a light, it will turn off by itself if no one is around. Automation is key ;D
Many electronics go into “stand-by” mode when they appear to be off and actually consume a great deal of power. I turn off and unplug my computer, printer, modem and chargers when they are not in use. It is a simple step that anyone can do that can save a lot of power over time. That is my tip for you.
I would also love the tickets. Good Luck to all. Go Canada Go – 4 Gold!
I will not open my bedroom window during Winter, and cover the window with a warm blanket to keep the cold air from entering the house, so I don’t have to turn the furnace on.
To save electricity in my home, we’re always making sure that we turn off any lights that are not needed. That’s huge. Also, I am big on recycling. I hear that one pop can can power a light bulb for 3 hours!
Simple, tried & true power smart tips: do laundry in cold water, wear slippers and a sweater, turn off the lights when you’re not in the room.
I use vinegar and old newspapers to wash windows instead of Windex and paper towel – the smell goes away quickly, and you’re using Earth-safe products! (I also recycle the newspaper after!)
Unplug appliances after use and do your laundry using cold water!
Changed my lights to fluorescent ones as well as heat down, blankets up.
Disconnect all appliances when I am gone to decrease “phantom loads”.
Our power smart tips: we switched up our light bulbs to energy savers, we keep the lights off in any room that we are not in (our kids are doing the same which is so great), we have been using our fireplace and turning down our heat. We would be over the moon to get to see the game! GO CANADA GO!!
In my house we’re doing the low-tech version of smart metering by running our huge energy sucking dryer at night in order to use only off-peak hour electricity.
We unplug all appliances when not in use 🙂
We keep the heat down to 15C when we are at work and sleeping, and only turn it up when we are home and awake.
I am very PowerSmart and just a small example is turning off all lights in rooms we are not in.
Thank you!
Though alone it may not be financially feasible, I got a bunch of people in my vicinity to install a geothermal pump which lowered the installation costs and yielded a lower payback period. We will now enjoy clean, free renewable energy.
We decided to not use the heater during this winter season. We are keeping warm using hot-chocolate and hoodies.
My mom gave me a bunch of blankets, so I put them around the apartment and turned off the thermostat. At work we turned down the hot water tank 15 degrees.
I don’t use the heat dry option on my dishwasher, let them air dry instead.
turn off lights when I’m not in a room
I use a wood burning stove to heat the house which allows me to turn off my furnace.
I installed a low-flow shower head to save water. I also bought a rack for my laundry to not use the dryer. Works great!
Use energy management software. Local company Pulse Energy makes excellent software to help businesses reduce their energy consumption.
Set your computer screen to dim / turn off when unattended for 10 minutes, set your computer to go to sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity 🙂
I wear an extra sweatshirt and always have a cozy blanket for just sitting around watching tv, keeping the gas fireplace very very low
One of my kids is our “Environmental Manager” responsible for ensuring all the lights are turned off except for the one room we’re in, keeping the heat at 60 degrees most of the time, making sure the fridge door isn’t left open longer than necessary and keeping a towel in the dryer to reduce drying time.
Little things everyday… use energy-efficient lights, turn off lights when we leave a room, green baskets for groceries, re-usable water bottles and lunch containers, don’t use a dryer- we hang dry our clothes, pre-plan errands to make most of the area we are in, buy local groceries as much as we can, have plants in the house, multi-use containers we get when we buy groceries and other items for organisation and try to live thinking less is more.
Wash clothes in cold water.
use smartmetering and low consumption appliance.
I’ve changed to CFL’s, installed new windows, hang clothes on the line in sunny weather and such. It’s been great to read these posts as I’m learning more things to do to decrease our electricity use. Time to break some bad habits!
We switched to cold water wash a year ago and have noticed a significant change in the bill !!! :)) Yay ……cold water !!!
We have never used our electric heaters. If we are cold we put on a sweater!
We only leave essential lightings on and use power smart light bulbs.
The way my family is becoming green is the furnace is programmed controled as to when people are not home the furnce does not run until people come home till 3:00pm and at night it is programmed to be on low so the heat is not going all night long. We also only wash in cold water and in the summer I hang my clothes on the clothes line to dry and I have noticed a significant change in my hydro and gas bill over the last couple of years.
Hanging clothes on the clothesline instead of using a dryer, wearing more layers and turning down the heat, and making use of energy efficient lights!
I turn off the light when I leave a room. I only run the dishwasher during non-peak hours. My roommate and I only flush the toilet if we’ve done a #2. (If it’s yellow, let it mellow! If it’s brown, flush that shit!) Instead of cranking the heat when it’s cold, I put on wool socks and a sweater.
changes all light bulbs in the house to compact fluorescent, unplug all unused appliances, including chargers and laptops, new front-loader washing maching
I wash my clothes in cold water, and make sure to turn my computer off before I go to bed.
Every day when my four kids go to school, I lower the heat in my house by quite a few degrees. They usually don’t even notice.
I also use cold water in my front end loader washing machine.
Switched all bulbs at home & have been using the cold water wash for a long time now.
I installed a programmable thermostat and a new hot water tank that is more energy efficient.
We are trying to limit the TV power this week…an Olympic event in every room!! 🙂
I do several things…turn my theromstat down at night, ensure lights are off in rooms people are not in, switched to compact fluorescents whereever possible.
I keep my heat off, dry my clothes on drying racks, and turn off unnecessary lights.
– using compact fluorescent around the house
– use recharge-able batteries for battery powered items at home.
– we buy energy efficient appliances
– we unplug the power to appliances that don’t need power until use
I turn unplug the powerbar for my modem/computer when I am not using it. I turn down the heat when I am not at home. Also, I do do a big load if dishes/laundry at once.
No more driving to work, especially with all the bumper to bumper traffic. Walking and biking, or transit if I have to.
My lights have dimmers and I love using energy-efficient light bulbs!
We live in a house with six suites, but the master control for the heating is in our apartment. So we force our neighbours to wear sweaters because they can’t turn up their heat when it’s cold.
Oh, and I always wash in cold water. But most excited about the above.
We turn off the furnace at night and while out of the house, and just picked up a tankless hot water system. Go Green!
I wash my clothes in cold water and only buy CFL bulbs. I haven’t turned the heat on in my apartment yet this winter, opening the blinds to the sun during the day helps warm it up and cozy blankets at night.
Changed to compact flourescent bulbs. Use Led light for Christmas decorations.
Use countertop toaster ovens instead of the full size ovens.
wash cloths in off-peak hours
use space heater instead of heating the whole house.
I changed my light bulbs to compact flourescents, and I hooked up all my major electronics to a powerbar that I turn off when I go out.
I shut down my computer at night as well as my heat. to save energy. I also have power smart light bulbs in all my lights!!!
We exchanged out all our bathroom lightbulbs for energy saver bulbs. For most transportation, we walk or if it’s far, transit. On the few long trips we do, we use the Car Co-Op and generally are carpooling to do so.
We’ve replaced ALL of our lights and lamps with flourescent lights, plus we have replaced an old computer with an energy efficient one!
Installed a new energy efficient furnace with an electronic and programmable thermostat in my house. I also replace all windows with energy efficient ones.
I time my laundry to use the heat from my ventless dryer to warm my small condo during the winter. During the summer I hang my clothes instead of using the dryer.
we use dry kiln 2×4 cutoff discarded wood from a truss company. we purchase it at a great rate and use it whenever we can in the winter to reduce our heating bill. it really helps cut our power consumption and as well, we wash all our clothes in cold water for additional benefits.
I turn off lights and the television when I’m not in the room.
LED nightlights.
Door and window frame insulation.
Go Canada!!
Try and dry clothes on a rack!
By an Energy Star appliance such as the Energy Star Maytag washing machine I’m buying on the weekend.
We also try to unplug appliances when they aren’t in use (toasters, lamps, etc), especially remembering to unplug our cell phone chargers.
PowerSmart tip #1: When you’re not using household appliances like microwaves, televisions, VCRs, etc., don’t just turn them off. Unplug them entirely. Up to 40% of the electricity these appliances consume is used when they are in “standby” mode waiting to be used.
PowerSmart tip #2: If you’re in the market for a new refrigerator, consider buying a freezer chest that opens on the top instead. A few minor adjustments (instructions can be found through Google) can convert it into a normal refrigerator. Since the door is on top, none of that cold air will pour out like it does when you open a regular refrigerator door, saving as much as 70% of the energy your refrigerator uses.
Power Smart Tip: LED lights are expensive up front, but use much less energy and last forever.
We use power bars for all the electronics and turn the power bar off when not in use. Turn out all of the lights when not using a room and use cold water for laundry.
Installed floor warming cables with programmable stats in lieu of using baseboard heaters.
Turn off lights when not in use. And changed all Christmas lights to LED.
Use special power bars that can switch off each individual plug since plugged in devices that are off still draw power.
We do cold water laundry…..turn out the lights when not in use…….have a programmable thermostat……..unplug unused appliances……turn off the computer when not in use……the list goes on !!!
i don’t turn on my heater, i wear more layers, layers, layers !
I use energy efficient bulbs for lighting. I also unplug my computer and other electronic devices when not in use.
i have installed occupancy sensors in my home and also have timers for my bathroom fans as we all know some people forget to turn them off.
installed compact fluorescent lamps throughout my home in lieu of using incandescent lamps
In my home, we bought several energy saver appliances. I also turn off lights, and my computer when not in use.
at work we power off all our monitors and print devices at the end of each day.
I organize my ingredients so I only open my fridge door once to take items out, and once to put everything back.
i turn off the furnace at night and only use cold water
To dim the lights at home! Makes a romantic even and forces your eyes to work a little harder! 🙂
I’m using the power saving light bulbs in my new place. Plus I have a programmable thermostat so I can have it automatically turn the heat down at night and during the day when I’m at work. And I’ve been washing my clothes in cold water for years (and hang many things to dry rather than using the dryer).
changed all my lightbulbs to the long life powersaving ones.
We are always conscience when leaving the house to turn off all heat. Even when we’re home we don’t crank the heat but instead use sweaters and blankets.
We renovated a 100 year old home with an original energy rating of below 30 points. After our hard work, we received an above 90 grade on our Energy Efficiency rating thanks to insulation, new windows, energy efficient appliances, an on-demand hot water system and radiant floor heating! GO CANADA GO!
We replaced all the lights in our condo with energy efficient bulbs. Go Canada!
I’ve been making a conscious effort to unplug things I’m not using — hairdryer, straightener, rechargers, etc, and make sure the lights are off when I leave.
If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down!
We use thermal curtains in our house so that heating it doesn’t take as much energy, and have replaced all the bulbs with compact fluorescents.
Optimize heating to turn on at times when you’re likely to be home, and minimally at other times.
I just switched all the lights in my place to LED lights, I always use cold water wash and turn off all the light around the house/office when they are not being used.
I’ve turned my heat down and put on a sweater at home. I’m also gradually replacing all my light bulbs.
We wrapped our hot water tank and never leave a room without turning off the lights.
I seriously need to win these tix to reclaim my son’s affections since we told him we are moving from his childhood home!
Making an effort to unplug appliances that aren’t being used and keep lights off as much as possible. Using energy efficient light bulbs …every little helps =)
Shutdown your desktop computers. It’s only a matter of minutes.
I am more power smart than before by having all of my electronics in my room plugged into a surge protector so i can power them all down at once when I am not using them.
I use solar powered cell phone chargers.
We turn our heat down every night, when we’re not at home and in rooms we won’t be in. Cold water for laundry in front loading machines & hang dry as many items as possible. Also unplug appliances when not in use and use rechargeable batteries for all my photography work.
When I purchased my new HDTV in time for our city’s hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympics (!!), I made sure to purchase one with the Energy Star symbol. I also unplug electronics when not in use instead of just turning them off, to avoid trickles of energy being lost (it adds up).
Go Canada Go!
I always unplug anything that isn’t currently being used so I don’t waste electricity with ‘phantom power’!!
I do laundry in cold water and hang my clothes to dry.
I turn off the lights in rooms i am not in and turn down the furnace every night and it’s never switched on in unused rooms.
We hang our laundry to dry inside our apartment. Saves energy and the life of our clothes!
Turning off all non security lighting at the end if the day and installing energy efficiant bulbs in fixtures.
Unplug all those charger when your not using them to avoid phantom power draws, this also applies to the dozens of other small appliances sitting at the ready with the ‘standby’light. Turn your printer and computer off when you’re not using them, lights off when not needed. Use appliances that suite the need, don’t use a 4slice toaster for one slice of toast, a big oven when a toster oven would do, you get the picture – Think, before you consume.
I drive with a light foot to improve gas mileage.
Got an HE washer and dryer.
Changed all the lightbulbs in my apartment to more efficiant ones and also had all of my bills changed to online, to use less paper!
Go Canada Go!
tip – change all your lightbulbs to energy efficient ones. Not only do they save money on your energy bill many also come with a 5-10 year warranty which means even more money saved!
I turn off unnecessary lights, unplug appliances, wash clothes in cold water, and have a water-saving shower-head. (P.S. Go Canada!)
Here’s my Power Smart Tip: If you are cold…save power, don’t turn on the heat…put on your cozy Canada hoodie, Canada scarf and those awfully cute red Olympic mittens. Cheering Go Canada Go also increased blood flow too!
Turn off the lights and turn down the heat when you leave the home for the day.
Hang dry everything!!
I unplug all the appliances and chargers that are not being used and also turn down the heat when I leave the house!
I use energy efficient lighting in my houses and apartment rentals and always turn the lights off when leaving a room!
I turn out all the lights on our floor of the office every night. I’m sure the night cleaning crew doesn’t appreciate it but I know my kids will. How long will it take for them to install smart lights that turn out when everyone is out of the building?!! Its not that hard!
I turn off lights when not necessary and have appliances (including computers) plugged into power cords which I turn off when not inuse.
Energy efficient lightbulbs, lights/tv are always turned off when not in use, and the heat in our house is off completely from just before the last frost until we can’t stand it anymore in mid-December!
We boarded up one of our fireplaces to prevent heat leakage.
Tickies sounds excellent!!! I always:
1. turn off lights that I am not using,
2. unplug all my chargers, computers, entertainment equipment when i go away for long periods of time,
3. switched to more efficient and power saving light bulbs and
4. had a new shower head installed which conserves the amount of water we use…
5. and as always…”if it’s yellow, let it mellow!!”
Visiting the power smart pavilion has really made me more aware of the impact of what I am and am not doing. It’s wonderful to know I’m making a change in the world by turning off the lights, or having just bit shorter shower.
we installed fluorescent bulbs and low-flow shower heads!
Power smart everyday part of life, Turn off lights, unplug unused appliances, we al need to do our part.
I try to unplug electric items when not in use.
Regularly clean the elements on the back of my fridge.
Turn computer monitors off and if I forget I have them on an auto shut off
I stopped buying new clothes… and am aiming to do so for at least a year!
Power Smart tip – unplug phone/ipod chargers when not in use !!
i turn off all things i’m not using!
We installed a high energy efficient furnace and changed from single pane windows to double pane.
I wore my sweater more and turned on the heat less.
Turn down the heat by 1 or 2 degrees and wear a pair of slippers.
Personally I try to make sure I turn off all lights and appliances not in use, I make sure to unplug any chargers, and I try to remember to shut down my computer when not in use.
As a teacher I also try to pass this message on to as many of my grade 1’s as possible. We’ve even created a classroom environmental challenge for the students to reduce their use of water and energy at school and at home!
I’ve been excited to hear feedback from parents that their 6 year old has been teaching the family about reducing our environmental impact at home!
Change light bulbs to more energy efficient ones. You will not believe how many you will need to switch in average house and each replaced one will save energy and YOUR money
Bought an energy star tv.
Only turning it on for hockey.
Unplugging appliances that aren’t in use (microwave, lights, stereo)
1. Turn off lights, computers and unplug some appliences before going to bed.
2. Not open windows with heat on.
3. Wash clothes with cold water.
4. Use power saving bulbs.
5. Unplug celphone/battery chargers when not in use!
I use rechargeable batteries and I’ve converted our old light bulbs to more energy efficient ones. Also helps to keep the heat off when you can just wear a sweater.
I have been Power Smart by changing the incandescent light bulbs in my apartment to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Install motion-activated sensors for your rooms so if you forget to turn out the lights, it will be done for you!!
BONUS TIP: UNPLUG anything you’re not using because it’s cut our power bill dramatically!!
Turning off my computers when not in use is one way. Switching to CFLs in the house too.
Always turn off the computer when not using it, it’s also great way to dump the memory so you’ve got more speed when you turn it back on. Oh, and dim the lights when you can, It’ll feel better when you’re at the desk for long periods!
GO CANADA!
My PowerSmart tips are that I put my computer into sleep mode when not in use and unplug chargers for cellphones etc when they are not being used.
CONTESTis now closed. No more entries will be accepted after this point. Thanks to everyone for the awesome tips!
We turn off computers when we aren’t using them. We use energy efficient lights and we’ve installed double glazed windows to keep the house warmer so we don’t have to crank up the heat.
I’m always Powersmart by turning off any unnecessary light at all times.
I’m Powersmart by washing laundry with cold water, and turning un-necessary lights off.
We use compact flourescents in every light in our house, and turn off any electronics that aren’t in active use.
I’m powersmart by unplugging electronics when not using them!