On the Road

When you go on vacation, take your energy conservation tips with you.

• Turn off the lights, radios and TVs when you leave your hotel room.
• If your room has a coffeemaker with a timer or clock, unplug it after use. “Phantom power” or “standby power” is still being drawn even when electronic devices are turned off.
• Conserve the use of towels. Do you really need fresh towels every day? Instead, leave the towels to be washed in the bath tub and hang the towels you wish to reuse on the rack. Make sure to leave a note for housekeeping.
• To conserve water and electricity, let your hotel know they don’t need to change your bed linen every day. Instead have housekeeping change bed linen every 2 days during your stay.
• If you have control of the heat, turn it down when you leave the room. Why heat or cool an empty room?
• Just like home, raise the thermostat setting on the room air conditioner a few degrees.
• In the summer, keep curtains closed during the day to keep the heat out. In the winter, keep the blinds and curtains open and let the sun heat and light your room naturally.
• Take a quick shower instead of a bath. Did you know a typical occupied hotel room soaks up 218 gallons (825 litres) of water a day?
• Report leaky taps to the front desk.  One constant drip can waste up to 182 litres of water a week. If it’s hot water that’s leaking, you’re sending energy dollars down the drain.
• If you’re booking a meeting or convention, ask the hotel if it has environmental policy. And don’t forget to ask to see it.   You might even be able to ask hotel management if there is one further energy conservation measure they could offer to secure your business. For instance, suggest that bed sheets can be changed every two days for your delegates.
• Many hotels are committed to environmental measures that include energy conservation.  Look for these “green” properties in your vacation choices.

To Search for a Green-rated Hotel Check Out these Sites.

Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) Green Key Eco-Rating Program 

Environmentally Friendly Hotels  

While you're Away

• For increased security, use timers on light fixtures inside and outside your home. Using timers is much less costly in the long run than leaving your lights on all day. Fluorescent lighting requires special dimmers or timers, so make sure you use the correct ones.
• Your refrigerator is an electricity hog. If you’re going to be away for a long period of time, consider emptying and unplugging it. Or better yet, have your old, inefficient refrigerator picked up. To learn how to qualify and book an appointment, visit  FRIDGE & FREEZER PICKUP
  
• If you spend a long time away from home during the coldest months of the year, set your thermostat down. In the winter set it at 18°C and if you’re away in the summer set it at 28°C.  A programmable thermostat is a great way to change settings automatically. There are programmable thermostats for central heating and baseboard heating.
• If you have a pool, make sure it’s covered and that the timer on the pool pump is set.
• Electronic devices left plugged in, even when turned off, still draw power. That's called phantom power or standby power, and it's costing you money. It's also costing our planet even more with wasteful carbon emissions. Plug the following electronics into a power bar with a timer or auto shut off and make sure they are off during periods of inactivity. For example: Television, home theatre system, computer, monitor, printer, scanner, rechargeable devices (MP3 players, cell phones, battery chargers etc.), and game console.
• By reducing this unnecessary power use, you can help save up to 15% on your electricity use.