You don't have to choose staying warm over saving power — you can have both! Our tips will help you lower your home's energy use, which will save you money and help protect the environment, while you continue to stay warm this winter.

Save money

Don't pay the PST when you buy an ENERGY STAR® qualified furnace in Saskatchewan.

Save power

• Reduce your hot water consumption by up to 50 per cent by using low-flow aerated showerheads, and save 15 per cent off your monthly power bill. The air added to the water keeps the water pressure strong while saving you hot water and money.

Save the environment

Find out where to recycle your heating appliances in the save the environment section of the Appliances page.

Heating tips & tools

• Open curtains and blinds during the day to let heat in, and close them at night to help keep the heat inside your home.
• Vacuum baseboard heaters at least twice a year to prevent dust from building up, so heat can more easily move through your house.

Space heaters

• A space heater used 8 hours a day can cost over $21 a month to operate, making it one of the worst winter power culprits.
• Turn off your space heater when you leave the room or go to bed at night.

Furnaces

• Clean your furnace filter regularly and make sure your chimney and outdoor vents are not blocked.
• Have a trained professional inspect your furnace in the fall every year to make sure it is working efficiently. If your furnace is taken care of, it will be safer, use less electricity and cost less to operate.
• If your furnace has a continuous pilot light, shut off the pilot light for the summer and have a technician relight it in the fall during your annual inspection. An inspection costs around $100, but could more than pay for itself in power savings if your furnace isn't running properly.

Thermostats (natural gas tips)

• Set your thermostat lower in the winter.
• Install a programmable thermostat that you can set to automatically lower the temperature when you normally leave the house or go to bed. You can also set it to automatically raise the temperature shortly before you get up in the morning.
• By simply lowering your thermostat by 2°C for eight hours every night, in the winter, you'll save approximately 4 per cent on your heating bill.
• Install an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat away from natural cool and hot spots in your home. They provide more flexibility than standard models and perform one or more of the following functions: Save and repeat multiple daily settings, which you can change when needed without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program; store four or more temperature settings a day; and adjust heating or air conditioning turn-on times as the outside temperature changes.

Water heaters

• Your water heater is one of the biggest energy users in your home, second only to the furnace.
• Make sure your water heater is insulated properly.
• Taking long hot showers is an expensive way to warm up. Consider taking short showers instead.
• If you're keeping an older hot water appliance, insulate the heater and the first metre of piping. The insulation pays for itself by preventing energy being wasted into thin air.
• Lower the thermostat to 55°C to save energy. Make sure it is at 55°C and not any lower, as this would risk the growth of disease-carrying bacteria such as legionella. Some older dishwashers need to have the water at 60°C in order to work properly. If your dishwasher doesn't have an element to boost the temperature, you may have to set the thermostat at 60°C.

Hot tubs

• Turn your hot tub thermostat down if you won't be using it for a week or more. It costs less to re-heat your water than to always keep it hot.
• Make sure your hot tub cover fits properly and is in good condition. Keep your hot tub covered as much as possible. Adding a floating thermal blanket under the cover will help retain even more heat.
• Put your hot tub in a sheltered area to prevent wind from cooling the water down.

Waterbeds

• Make your bed and save money. An uncovered waterbed can use twice the energy to maintain its temperature as a covered bed.
• Invest in a foam pad to cover your mattress and keep the bed's temperature stable.