Know how best to reduce energy consumption at your home

Toronto: If power bills form a major chunk of your spending during the peak summer and winter months, researchers offer certain tips that can help you breathe easy. A study, published in the journal Frontiers in Built Environment, showed that opening the window had the greatest impact on energy consumption during times when the heater was being used to warm the house, and using window shades had the greatest impact on reducing energy consumption during warm weather.

The researchers from Wuhan University of Technology in China and University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Canada recommended hanging appropriate window shades to help reduce energy costs. For an increased reduction in energy use, homeowners should keep their windows closed during winter, add solar panels to reduce the heating loads of the house, adjust the thermostat temperature only slightly during transitional season and turn off lights when not needed, the researchers noted.