Video: Shell Demonstrates Just How Easy it is to Save Energy at Home

See how easy it is to save energy and money. Watch how-to videos from Sask Energy featuring Shell Busey.

Shell demonstrates just how easy it is to:

1. Change a furnace filter
2. Apply shrink film to windows
3. Install a Water Wizard™
4. Install weather-stripping
5. Apply caulking to windows & doors
6. Install a low-flow showerhead

Try these easy, low-cost or no-cost tips to help you save energy, save money and do your part for the environment:

Furnace

• Keep your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted with annual maintenance. If your furnace is working at peak efficiency it will use less energy and cost less to operate.
• Clean or replace the filter every 1-2 months – a dirty filter reduces the airflow and forces the furnace to run longer to heat your home.
• Consider purchasing a new ENERGY STAR® qualified furnace with a variable speed motor. An average home can save up to $599 in natural gas and electrical costs annually when upgrading from a standard 60% efficiency natural gas furnace to a 95% efficiency furnace with a high efficiency variable speed motor.
  Click here to see a video on how to change your furnace filter

Thermostat

• Lower your thermostat by 4 – 5 degrees Celsius (7 – 9 degrees Fahrenheit) while you’re sleeping at night and when no one is at home.
• Install an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat. You can save 2% on your heating bill for every 1 degree C you turn down your thermostat. With an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat to consistently lower your heat when you don’t need it, you could save up to $80 a year!

Laundry

• Switch to cold when doing your laundry. 85 – 90% of the energy used to wash your clothes is used to heat the water. By turning the dial to cold on your washing machine, you help the environment, save energy, and save money.
• Wash full loads.
• Choose a front loading washing machine. Not only does a front loading washing machine save water, it saves energy as well. It uses about 40% less water and about 50% less energy.

Weather-stripping

• Weather-stripping provides a barrier between the fixed and movable sections of doors and windows. Apply weather-stripping to operable windows, exterior doors, garage doors, and doors that lead to the attic.
  Click here to see a video on how to apply weather-stripping to exterior doors.

Windows, doorframes, sills and joints

• Apply a sealant or caulk around windows, doorframes, sills and joints. On a windy day feel for leaks or use a couple of incense sticks to help identify leaks around windows, electrical outlets, vents and exterior doors. As well look for spider webs – if there is a web there is a draft.

• Use plastic window covers to help prevent heat loss.
• Keep return air grills and heating vents clear of furniture, rugs and drapes, so there is no interference with the flow of heat through your home.
  Click here to see a video on how to apply caulking to windows and doors
  Click here to see a video on how to apply shrink film to windows

Basement

• If you have an unfinished basement or crawlspace, check for leaks by looking for spider webs. If there is a web, there is a draft. A large amount of heat is also lost from an un-insulated basement.
• Add insulation to basement walls.

Drapes & Blinds

• On sunny days, open south facing drapes and let the sun in, a natural source of heat. If you have large windows that don’t receive direct sun, keep the drapes closed.
• Close your drapes and blinds during the night.

Pipes, ducts, fans and vents

• Plug gaps around pipes, ducts, fans and vents that go through walls, ceilings and floors from heated to unheated spaces.

Showerheads and faucets

• Install low-flow showerheads and faucets.
  Click here to see a video on how to install a low-flow showerhead
  Click here to see a video on how to install a Water Wizard ™
  Water Wizards are available through HouseSmart by calling 1-888-266-8806.

Dishwasher

• Always wash a full load in your dishwasher and air-dry your dishes on the “energy saver” setting.

Garage

• Turn on the heat just prior to use, save by not heating it continuously.

Wood Fireplace

• Close the damper to prevent warm air from escaping through the chimney, and ensure the damper fits properly. Consider using a Draftstopper to seal the fireplace when it is not being used. Go to www.draftstopper.ca or call 1-888-266-8806.

Other

• See what the big energy users in your home are and get suggestions for changes to save energy and money using energycheck, a quick an easy home energy audit found on the SaskEnergy website.
• For more energy savings tips visit the Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada website.
• The Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada has an excellent publication “Keeping the Heat In” available. This publication provides renovation information and techniques that will help you make your house more comfortable.

When do you need a Structural Engineer?

• When you want intensive renovations in your home.
• When you want to get rid of a post in a basement that is in the way of your pool table.
• When you want to remove a bearing wall.
• When you have cracks in your foundation.
• When your concrete floor slab on grade has settled.
• When you need an engineered foundation.
• When you build a retaining wall higher than 4’.
• When you want to raise your house and build a basement underneath.
• When you want to build an extra floor on top of your house.
• When you want the house that you are going to buy, structurally inspected.
• When you want a structural engineer involved in the building of your new house.
• When you have enlarged your house without a building permit and you want to sell it.
• When you want to install a hot tub on your sundeck.
• When you want to make a large skylight in your roof.
• When you want to enlarge a window opening.
• When you want a steel beam to support a large opening.
• When the city inspector tells you that you need a structural engineer, or
• When you have any other structural problems.

Spring Home Maintenance Schedule

Inspecting your home on a regular basis and following good maintenance practices is the best way to protect your investment in your home. Whether you take care of a few tasks at a time or several all at once, it is important to get into the habit of doing them. Establish a routine for yourself and you will find the work is easy to accomplish and not very time consuming. A regular schedule of seasonal maintenance can put a stop to the most common — and costly — problems, before they occur. If necessary, use a camera to take pictures of anything you might want to share with an expert for advice or to monitor or remind you of a situation later.

If you do not feel comfortable performing some of the home maintenance tasks listed below, or do not have the necessary equipment, for example a ladder, you may want to consider hiring a qualified handy person to help you.

Spring

• After consulting your hot water tank owner’s manual, carefully test the temperature and pressure relief valve to ensure it is not stuck. Caution:This test may release hot water that can cause burns.
• Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season.Ventilation system, for example heat recovery ventilator, filters should be checked every two months.
• Have fireplace or woodstove and chimney cleaned and serviced as needed.
• Shut down and clean furnace humidifier, and close the furnace humidifier damper on units with central air conditioning.
• Check air conditioning system and have serviced every two or three years.
• Clean or replace air conditioning filter (if applicable).
• Check dehumidifier and clean if necessary.
• Turn OFF gas furnace and fireplace pilot lights where possible.
• Have well water tested for quality. It is recommended that you test for bacteria every six months.
• Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms and replace batteries.
• Clean windows, screens and hardware, and replace storm windows with screens. Check screens first and repair or replace if needed.
• Open valve to outside hose connection after all danger of frost has passed.
• Examine the foundation walls for cracks, leaks or signs of moisture, and repair as required. Repair and paint fences as necessary.
• Ensure sump pump is operating properly before the spring thaw sets in. Ensure discharge pipe is connected and allows water to drain away from the foundation.
• Re-level any exterior steps or decks which moved due to frost or settling.
• Check eavestroughs and downspouts for loose joints and secure attachment to your home, clear any obstructions, and ensure water flows away from your foundation.
• Clear all drainage ditches and culverts of debris.
• Undertake spring landscape maintenance and, if necessary, fertilize young trees.

Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Cladding with Carpet:

An ideal way to dress up your patio or steps this project is done using cladding with indoor/outdoor carpeting.

Advantages:
• Indoor/outdoor carpeting is inexpensive and readily available
• It covers up nail holes, chips, splits and other imperfections in wood
• Adhesive and paint coatings, form a protective layer, impervious to rain, sun and scuffing.
• You can use any type and color of paint, helping you use up all those paint leftovers from other projects, and keep it out of the landfill.
• The newer indoor/outdoor carpet styles have a lower nap and is more resilient than the traditional Astroturf indoor/outdoor carpet. It is much denser and thinner and can be contoured to the surfaces it covers.

Procedure:

Apply exterior all purpose adhesive to the (plywood/concrete/lumber) you wish to coat.

- Precut carpet an extra ½” wider, 1” longer than needed, and apply adhesive to the underside.

Apply carpet carefully to desired surface once the adhesive is tacky. To get an even finish and maximum adhesion, use a rubber roller to roll the carpet out nice and flat.

- Once you’ve allowed time for the adhesive to bond with the carpet and base material, you can trim the excess carpet with a utility knife. (if making angled cuts and mitered ends, best results are achieved by sawing the wood and carpet once it has bonded.)

Apply first coat of acrylic paint or deck coating to surface and allow for drying.

Apply Second coat of acrylic paint or deck coating to surface and allow for drying.

Repeat the process again with a third coat of acrylic deck coating.

Add a final coat of exterior clear acrylic coating to achieve that finished look that will last.