Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance

It’s National Cut Your Energy Costs Day today—here are 7 things you can do to save money and energy!

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Sampaio-Lepiane) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:52:00 +0000

Although you may not be aware of it, today is National Cut Your Energy Costs Day! Today’s commemoration is great timing for those budget-sensitive Canadians who are looking to save money to pay off their higher than expected holiday and winter energy bills.

So when you’re looking to cut your energy costs, where will you get the biggest bang for your buck?

The biggest source of wasted energy in your home is your heat generation in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. So if you don’t already have one, make sure that you purchase a programmable thermostat. There are lots of provincial rebates and coupons that help you save money when you purchase a new energy efficient programmable thermostat.
Major household appliances such as your fridge, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washer and dryers consume another big chunk of your electricity bill so make sure you replace old appliances with energy efficient models. And for dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers run them with full loads on off-peak times. And don’t forget to keep your appliances clean (vacuum dryer vents and fridge vents) so that they can run efficiently. And if you have a hot tub, make sure that you put it on a timer so it’s not drawing power continuously. Dehumidifiers and portable heaters also draw a lot of power so look for energy efficient models when purchasing these units and try to run them at off-peak hours.
Insulating your home is another big one. Whether it’s a big project such as adding more attic and wall insulation, to smaller projects such as weather-stripping doors, caulking around your windows to seal cracks, adding piping insulation around hot and cold water pipes, insulating your water heater, to adding insulation in your wall sockets, every bit helps to save you money. And don’t forget to have your HVAC system cleaned (or replaced if it’s an old inefficient unit) so that it can run more efficiently.
Change your cooking habits. Use your microwave to heat up your food instead of the stove, keep lids on pots when cooking, use electric kettles with auto shutoff to boil water, don’t open your oven door to check on the status of your food until it’s done cooking and don’t wash or pre-rinse your dishes under running water.
Electronics, with so many of us having a multitude of electronic gadgets running in our homes today, it’s becoming a bigger energy expense for homeowners. So to help reduce the energy load of your electronics, make sure that you have your TV, laptops/computers, home theater systems, cable terminal boxes, radios, docking stations and anything else that’s electronic, plugged into a power bar so that any phantom power that’s being drawn out of the device to keep lights and timers on will be shut off when they’re not in use. New auto shut off power bars are great for those (like me) who forget to turn off power bars. They also help protect your items from power surge damage, so it’s really an essential item to have in your home. And of course, when you’re purchasing another electronic product, make sure they have an ENERGYstar label to verify their energy efficiency.
Lighting, although it may seem obvious, replacing any incandescent lights with CFL bulbs or LED’s is an easy and very affordable way to save money on your energy bill.
Water. A lot of us don’t realize that wasting water is another big source of energy consumption. Not only will you get a higher water bill, but the energy used to pump the water from your local water utility into your home is a big source of energy use. So leaky faucets and toilets should be fixed to help you conserve water which will in turn save energy and help you cut your energy bills. And don’t forget to use efficient shower heads, don’t run water when brushing your teeth or washing/rinsing dishes and avoid taking baths (who has time to take baths anymore anyways?) to conserve water use.

Although all of these energy saving tips may seem like a lot to tackle, if you try to implement a new energy saving tip every day, or even every week, and educate your children to ensure our future generations will continue to save energy, we can all save money, energy and decrease our carbon footprint in the very near future.

Looking for more energy saving tips and ideas?

Websites

Here are some great websites that have some very useful and consumer-friendly information on saving energy:

saveONenergy.cahas a great Consumer Tips tool that shows you how you can be efficient in every room of your house by implementing energy saving ideas, and when you’re done it even calculates your savings.

http://www.ieso.ca/imoweb/siteshared/energy_tips.asp?sid=ic

http://residential.directenergy.com/EN/Energy/Pages/42-Tips.aspx

https://www.enbridgegas.com/homes/manage-energy/energy-efficiency-tips/

http://www.uniongas.com/residential/energyconservation/index.asp

http://www.naimacanada.ca/en/incentives--rebates

http://www.hydro.mb.ca/your_home/index.shtml?WT.mc_id=2802

http://www.hrai.ca/rebatesincentives.html

http://www.roxul.com/residential/save+energy+with+comfortbatt

http://www.saskenergy.com/saving_energy/tips.asp

Videos

Here are some interesting videos that talk about saving energy (although one is from 2009 and may be a little outdated, it still has some useful information):

1. How to stop energy vampires and phantom power loads, courtesy of grabmedia.com

2. “Saving Money, Saving Energy," 2009, courtesy of Wetmtv.com

Social Networks

We asked our friends on Facebook and Twitter for some of their energy saving tips and here’s what some of them had to say:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Happy Cut Your Energy Costs Day! If you have an energy saving tip you’d like to share, visit us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Canadian-Energy-Efficiency-Alliance/111344902257508or share your tip on Twitter using hashtags #energysavingtips and #cutyourenergycostday!

Ontario Government Aiming to Help Ontarians Conserve More Energy and Save More Money with Ontario Green Button Initiative

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Sampaio-Lepiane) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 20:25:00 +0000

Ontario is aiming to provide electricity consumers with greater access to information about their energy consumption and encourage the creation of new, innovative tools for consumers to help conserve energy and save on electricity costs.

A working group led by the province and the MaRS Discovery District will explore an Ontario Green Button initiative that would use innovative smart grid technology to give families and businesses direct, timely access to their own energy data through a secure download from their utility's website. A standard data format for Ontario's utilities would also encourage app developers to create new tools to help Ontarians manage their energy use from their computers and smart devices.

Read on...

New Municipal Regulations that will Help Residents Finance Energy Efficiency Home Improvements in Ontario

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Sampaio-Lepiane) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:14:00 +0000

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, has filed two new regulations that will give municipalities the ability to drive energy efficiency in their communities. The new amendments enable municipalities to use a local improvement charge (LIC) to help residents finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, linking retrofit debts to the property, rather than with the property owner—a vast improvement from current financing options.

LICs have traditionally been utilized (and financed by municipalities) for upgrading sewers, roads, water-mains, and other property improvements. The new LIC’s will operate in the same manner, with the municipality acting as the financer paying the amortized retrofit costs (at lower rates than traditional private sector loans) and then adding the levy payment on the property owner’s tax bill as a surcharge until the fees are paid off.

The Yukon was the first in Canada to introduce an LIC that incorporated energy efficiency improvements followed by Nova Scotia (who enacted legislative change to enable Halifax Regional Municipality’s solar thermal LIC project) and most recently Manitoba via the release of Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart Pay As You Save (PAYS) Financing Program. British Columbia and Alberta have shown interest in utilizing LICs to initiate energy efficiency improvements, but have yet to release a similar program.

The CEEA is hopeful that these amendments will set precedence for other provinces to follow suit and offer similar user-friendly energy efficient programs to the consumer.

Resources

Persram, Sonja, Property Assessed Payments for Energy Retrofits, David Suzuki Foundation and Sustainable Alternatives Consulting Inc., March 2011, http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/downloads/2011/Property-Assessed-Payments-for-Energy-Retrofits-recommendations-1.pdf
Peters, Roger; Horne, Matt; and Heap, Nicholas, Using Local Improvement Charges to Finance Building Energy Efficiency Improvements: A Concept Report, Pembina Institute, May 1, 2004, http://www.pembina.org/pub/170
Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, Municipalities get real power to create good jobs, resilient communities and healthy environments, http://www.ontario-sea.org/Page.asp?PageID=122&ContentID=4132&SiteNodeID=296&BL_ExpandID=

Elizabeth McDonald Joins the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Sampaio-Lepiane) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Gary Johnson, Interim Chair of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance (CEEA), is pleased to announce that Elizabeth McDonald is joining CEEA as President and CEO. Elizabeth brings over 20-years experience to the Alliance, having lead and managed several trade associations and most recently serving as a global advocate for sustainable clean energy solutions for the Canadian solar energy industry.

"Elizabeth's recent experience as a global advocate for sustainable clean energy solutions fits in perfectly with CEEA's mission—energy efficiency is part of every organization's energy sustainability plan—it's the cleanest form of energy there is," said Gary Johnson. "We're excited to have her calibre of expertise on board to lead CEEA and further develop our membership, policies and advocacy efforts for energy efficiency in Canada."

Prior to joining CEEA, Elizabeth served as a Senior Advisor, Business Development with SolPowered Energy Corporation (2011-2012), and previously as the Executive Director and President of the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) (2007-2011). During this time, she worked closely with the Ontario government (Solar Task Force and FIT/Micro-FIT Advisory Committees), the Electricity Sector Council and the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA). She was also named an Investment Canada Champion by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) and travelled extensively throughout North America and overseas as a solar advocate and spokesperson.

"I'm excited to lead the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance into its next chapter," said Elizabeth McDonald. "Energy efficiency is part of the clean energy sustainability solutions that I've been advocating for and I look forward to developing its potential even further."

For more information, or to book an interview, contact:

Don Huff, Environmental Communication Options
Office: 416.972.7404
Cell: 416.805.7720

huffd@huffstrategy.com

For more information about CEEA, visit: energyefficiency.org

CEEA's 2011 Report Card Questionnaire Released

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Sampaio-Lepiane) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:23:00 +0000

The Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance (CEEA) released its 2011 National Report Card on Energy Efficiency Questionnaire today, distributing it to the federal government and the thirteen Premiers across Canada for their responses. The questionnaire forms the basis for the Alliance’s biannual National Report Card on Energy Efficiency, an independent report that evaluates the Canadian government’s energy efficiency activities and reflects the priorities energy efficiency experts believe governments must establish in order to create a sustainable economy for future generations.

This year’s questionnaire, made up of ten questions, focuses on government leadership and its commitment to energy efficiency initiatives. Over forty percent of the final grade is attributed to the two first questions which include the request for a personal response from each of the Premiers on their commitment to energy efficiency initiatives within their jurisdiction and their government’s ability to lead by example when it comes to energy efficiency.

“Government leadership is a key element in the implementation of energy efficiency initiatives—not only does it signal to the rest of the economy its importance—but it serves to create the infrastructure necessary to support broad based implementation of energy efficient programs. That’s why we’d like to receive a personal response from each Premier on their energy efficiency commitments. We recognize the importance it plays on setting the priorities for their government and the commitment behind their initiatives,” said Ken Elsey, CEEA’s President and CEO.

The remaining eight questions which make up sixty percent of the grade, focus on what each province and territory has done in the past year to enhance energy efficiency in policy and regulatory requirements, implementation of programs that influence consumer behaviour, Northern communities and major sources of energy use.

Submissions will be evaluated over the summer and the final 2011 Report Card is expected to be released sometime in the fall.

For more information about the questionnaire or the Report Card, please contact:

Ken Elsey
President and CEO
Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance
905.614.1641
kenelsey@energyefficiency.org

For a copy of the questionnaire, click here.

Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance Congratulates Federal Government on Extending ecoENERGY Home Rebate Program

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Sampaio-Lepiane) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:31:00 +0000

Ken Elsey, President and CEO of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance (CEEA) commended Federal Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver for officially extending the ecoENERGY Retrofit—Homes program until March 2012. Through this program, Canadian homeowners can access up to $5,000 to perform upgrades that make their homes more energy efficient.

Renewal of the successful and effective ecoENERGY program is welcomed news following the program’s cancellation earlier this year.

Mr. Elsey noted, “CEEA research indicates that by using the ecoENERGY program Canadians have saved 11.22 Pj of energy—the equivalent to 3,116,691,600 kWh.” He went on to say, “CEEA estimates that energy efficiency renovations have saved Canadians a total of $339,950,019 in electricity each year.”

Mr. Elsey concluded, “CEEA is a proponent of the ecoENERGY initiative, an incentive program that is a real world stimulus package. It benefits home and business owners with as much as $4 billion in economic activity attributed to it. We are very appreciative of Minster Oliver’s announcement earlier today and hope the next ecoENERGY announcement will be one further extending the program’s duration.”

To schedule an interview, please contact:

Ken Elsey
President and CEO
Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance
905.614.1641
c. 416.558.8735

To view a copy of the federal release, click here.

Introduction of Interim EE Requirements Deemed Unnecessary by the Government of Alberta

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Sampaio-Lepiane) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:49:00 +0000

The Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance’s (CEEA) request for the Government of Alberta to introduce interim energy efficiency requirements for builders prior to the introduction of the new National Building Code in 2014, has been deemed unnecessary by the Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs, Hector Goudreau.

In a letter written to CEEA on May 9th, the Minister states:

"...the introduction of national standards for energy efficiency in this timeframe makes the adoption of interim energy efficiency standards unnecessary. The development of interim energy efficiency requirements could not occur sooner than the publication of the national energy codes."

CEEA has been asking the government to put a plan in place to help industry transition to a standard equivalent to EnerGuide 80 by 2014, since no jurisdiction has ever gone from Alberta's current level of energy efficiency to EnerGuide 80 without an interim step.

"It is unfortunate that the Government of Alberta continues to ignore the expectations and economic well being of new home buyers in Alberta. Without an interim step, Alberta builders face a much tougher challenge ahead of them,” stated Mr. Elsey, CEEA’s President and CEO.

In the original CEEA letter addressed to Minister Goudreau, Mr. Elsey expressed his concern around Alberta’s 2009 National Report Card on Energy Efficiency grading of B+, which reflected the provinces commitment to introduce an interim code.

“Our B+ grading for Alberta in our 2009 Report Card was based on the province’s commitment to energy efficiency and the introduction of an interim energy efficiency requirement that would be in place prior to the introduction of the new model National Energy Codes. Without the interim step, their grading would have been different. Our Report Card Review Committee is currently reviewing their 2009 score based on the recent information provided by Minister Goudreau,” stated Mr. Elsey.

CEEA’s Report Card Review Committee, which is responsible for grading the provincial submissions for CEEA’s biannual National Report Card on Energy Efficiency, will be in discussions later this week to re-access Alberta’s 2009 grade.

Download a copy of the letters below:

CEEA's letter to the Government of Alberta

Government of Alberta's letter to CEEA

Electric Vehicles—Are They Really Energy Efficient?

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Sampaio-Lepiane) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:32:00 +0000

When you purchase any appliance in Canada that has a plug, it's been certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to ensure that it lives up to consumers expectations and meets specific safety, quality, and energy efficiency requirements. However, if you purchase an electric vehicle in Canada today, that product has not yet been CSA certified. Currently there are no CSA standards developed for electric vehicles, which means that any electric vehicle being sold in Canada today has not been CSA tested.

The CEEA is currently working with the CSA and stakeholders to develop standards for electric vehicles in Canada. As an active member of CSA's Electric Vehicle Task Group, a group mandated to put standards in place for electric vehicles sold in Canada, CEEA is working with participants to ensure that electric vehicles meet energy efficiency requirements.

CEEA Supports the 2011 Federal Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy Sampaio-Lepiane) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:44:00 +0000

The federal government’s 2011 budget documents released this week offers the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance (CEEA) some encouragement that the government is prepared to invest in energy efficiency, and more importantly, Canada’s future energy needs.

CEEA’s pre-budget recommendations to the federal government included the need for more funding for energy efficiency, product standards development, Building Code improvements, clean transportation initiatives, and the return of the ecoENERGY program—all items that were promised in the budget.

With the budget, the government has promised to invest over $700 million, over the next 2 years, on the following energy efficiency initiatives:

$86 million to support clean energy regulatory actions, focusing on energy efficiency
$48 million to develop transportation sector regulations and next-generation clean transportation initiatives
$400 million in 2011–12 for the ecoENERGY Retrofit Homes program to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and reduce the burden of high energy costs
$2.1 million per year starting in 2012–13 to the Standards Council of Canada to modernize national standards and support a stronger Canadian voice in developing international standards
$97 million over two years to renew funding for technology and innovation in the areas of clean energy and energy efficiency
Expanding tax support for businesses that invest in energy efficiency equipment
Supporting “green” job creation by providing renewed funding of almost $100 million over two years for research, development and demonstrations of clean energy and energy efficiency

“These initiatives, will translate into huge savings for the environment, the federal government and for all Canadians.” said Ken Elsey, President and CEO of CEEA. “Product Standards alone have the potential to save significant amounts of energy. This budget would have accelerated those savings. Natural Resources Canada has projected that standards, through to 2020, translate into savings of 156 PJ’s of energy—which is equivalent to the energy used by 1,405,000 households—or the amount of power produced by 12 Generating Stations. An estimated value at close to $4 Billion saved—it’s a great investment, and something that the government and the leaders of the opposition can’t ignore.”

The CEEA remains hopeful that the leaders of the opposition will recognize the impact of the federal government’s investment in energy efficiency, and pass the 2011 budget this Friday.