Take Action to Reduce the Effects of Climate Change:

Conserving water quantity and protecting water quality, in addition to energy conservation steps will help to reduce the effects of Climate Change.

1. Water Conservation:

It is actually quite easy to cut back on the amount of water we use if we follow the 3Rs of water conservation: reduce, repair and retrofit.

First R: Reduce

Much of the water we use in our daily activities is simply wasted. Just about everywhere we use water there are ways to conserve. Here are some suggestions:
• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily and don’t use it as a wastebasket.
• Take quick showers instead of running a full tub for a bath.
• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge rather than letting your tap run to get cold water when you want a drink.

Second R: Repair

Leaks can be very costly. A leak of only one drop of water per second wastes about 10,000 litres of water per year. Most leaks are easy to fix and repair costs are minimal.
• Leaking faucets are often caused by a worn-out washer that costs pennies to replace. Ask at your local hardware store for a faucet repair kit and instructions.
• A toilet that continues to run after flushing can waste up to 200,000 litres of water a year. To find out if your tank is leaking, put a few drops of food colouring in the toilet tank. Wait a few minutes. If the colour shows up in the bowl, there’s a leak.
• Toilet leaks are often attributable to a few common, and easily repaired, problems. If you’re a do-it-yourself type, consult a book or a friend for how to make repairs to the valve seat. Otherwise, call a professional for help.

Third R: Retrofit

Retrofit refers to adapting or replacing an older water-using fixture or appliance with a newer, more water-efficient device. While new devices often cost more, they can save water and money in the long run.

•    Toilet retrofits can reduce water use by 70%.
•    Low-flow showerheads can reduce water use by half, and
•    Low-flow aerators for faucets can cut consumption by 85%.

For more information on reduce, repair and retrofit visiting the Environment Canada Web site at http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/info/pubs/e_pubs.htm.

2. Energy Conservation:

What you can do:    Why?

Draft-proof your house or apartment. Seal all leaks around around doors, windows and cracks where heat may be escaping. Consider purchasing the EnerGuide For Houses service and have an energy expert come to your home to advise you on what needs to be done to make your home more energy-efficient. For more information, go to http://energuideforhouses.gc.ca
    
Sealing leaks and drafts around the house can reduce your home’s heating needs by up to 20 per cent.

Install energy efficient windows and doors.
    Windows can account for up to 25 per cent of total house heat loss.
Clean furnace filters regularly and keep the furnace
properly tuned.     A well-maintained unit uses 10 to 15 per cent less energy than a poorly maintained one.
Conserve hot water by shortening showers and using the cold or warm wash and rinse in the washing machine.     Energy consumption for water heating is one of the largest uses in the home, second only to the furnace for space heating.
Properly insulate your house.
    Poorly insulated homes allow heat to flow through the exterior walls, floors or roof, forcing the furnace to use more energy to keep the house warm.
Turn off lights, appliances, televisions and computers when they’re not being used. Whenever possible use a small appliance instead of a large one (e.g., use a toaster oven in place of a full-sized oven).
    Consuming energy when it’s not needed is wasteful and costs money.
Major household appliances can consume up to 16 per cent of the total energy used in the home. Check the “EnerGuide” label when buying new appliances or room air conditioners.
    The EnerGuide label — affixed to most household major appliances and room air conditioners — shows how much energy your appliances consume in a year of normal service. You are then able to compare the energy efficiency of each model to others of the same size and class.

Install a programmable thermostat to automatically lower the temperature of your home when at work during the day, and at night when asleep.    
For every degree you lower your thermostat, you’ll save two per cent on your heating bill. A reduction of 3°C at night when you are asleep or during the day when you are not at home, provides optimal savings.

Use energy-efficient lighting products, such as compact fluorescent bulbs.    They last 10 times longer and use 75 per cent less energy than regular bulbs.

Install low-flow showerheads and toilets.    Low-flow showerheads use up to 60 per cent less water than conventional showerheads. Low-flow toilets use about 7.3 litres of water per flush, while traditional toilets can use 14 to 23 litres per flush.

Fix leaky faucets immediately.    At one drop per second, a single leaky washer wastes the equivalent of 16 baths every month.

Purchase “green power” to meet your home’s electricity needs. Contact your power supplier to see where and if it is available.
    Green power is energy that is generated from low-impact renewable sources, such as water, solar energy and wind. Green power emits little or no greenhouse gases.

Reduce your home’s cooling needs. Set your air conditioner at 24°C and raise it when you go out.    For each degree set below 24°C, you use three to five per cent more energy.