Oreo, Onyx and Pudding

Simple ways to keep your home warm, cozy and energy-efficient this winter

There are simple things you can do to help keep your home – and your furry little pals – warm and cozy while managing your energy consumption during the colder months. Applying weather stripping to your home’s windows and doors is an easy and cost-effective way to reduce unwanted drafts that lead to heat loss – and it will help lower your energy bills. You can also open the blinds and curtains on your windows on sunny days – the sunshine will not only brighten your home, but will also help warm your rooms throughout the day.

Go Further: Installing energy-efficient windows can help reduce your energy costs and keep your home comfortable all year long. Learn more with our window buying guide.

Save time and energy by using your dishwasher

Dishwashers can be a real timesaver, especially since no one likes to spend time cleaning dirty dishes after a meal (with the exception of perhaps your pets). But, did you know that when it comes to using an energy-efficient dishwasher versus handwashing dishes, it’s no contest. Dishwashers win!

Most dishwashers use fewer than 15 litres of water for a full cycle, while handwashing dishes uses roughly 15 litres every two minutes. ENERGY STAR^® dishwashers can also save you 26,400 litres of water a year on average – that’s almost 87 standard bathtubs full of water! So, go ahead and load your dishwasher with all your plates, bowls and cutlery – and even pots and pans. As an added bonus, running your dishwasher with less than a full load can still save you energy and water!

Go Further: Take advantage of your dishwasher’s settings for each load. Many models have options based on how dirty the dishes are, and use different amounts of water and heat to get your dishes clean. There are also options such as no-heat air drying that can help you save even more energy. Take our dishwasher quiz to test your knowledge and learn more.