Save on your energy bill this holiday season

Spend your money this holiday season on family, friends and all the great activities you have planned and not on electricity. BC Hydro is sharing eight simple tips that help save energy during the holidays.
1. LED lights use 90 per cent less electricity than regular lights, allowing you to light your tree for about a penny a day.
2. Reduce your home heating costs by five per cent by turning down the heat by two degrees. Use a programmable thermostat to automatically turn the temperature down by five degrees each night for eight hours while you sleep and you could see a 10 per cent reduction on your bill.
3. Your heating equipment needs regular maintenance to increase energy efficiency and cost effectiveness, and to ensure the comfort of your family and holiday guests.
4. Stop throwing money out the window. Blinds or drapes provide insulation and prevent heat loss. Heat loss from windows can account for 10 to 25 per cent of your heating bill.
5. Use the extra hands around the house during the holidays to help you draftproof your home by sealing the gaps and cracks with caulking and weather stripping. This can reduce heat loss by up to 10 per cent.
6. Give the gift of ENERGY STAR electronics, like TVs, DVD players and cordless phones. They use up to 30 per cent less electricity.
7. A ceiling fan can affect indoor temperature by 10 per cent. Spinning your ceiling fan in the clockwise direction produces a gentle updraft, which forces warm air near the ceiling down into the occupied space.
8. Close the damper tightly when the fireplace is not in use to dramatically reduce heat loss. If you only use the fireplace occasionally, install glass doors. They act as a barrier against warm air loss up in the chimney.