While living our lives, we make presumptions that we are managing our utilities well. But most of us are missing opportunities to reduce consumption and save money.

We can do better. When it comes to living in our homes, we can make a difference on our heating, electricity and water usage. Two SAGE Board members share their efforts in reducing energy and water consumption.

One lives in a 70-year-old, 1000 square foot bungalow that has not had any major renovations of the envelope. They keep the home cool in the winter with the thermostat set at 21.5C, and they turn the furnace off at night and sleep under a good comforter. (Even turning your furnace down to 18C can make a noticeable difference). The home uses about 70 GJ of natural gas for home and water heating. In the south of the province of Alberta, the average home uses about 120 GJ. This is 40% lower than average, and they are not sacrificing comfort.

They also use about 2800 kWh of electricity for their refrigerator, freezer, oven, lighting and other minor demands. Turn off the lights when you are not in the room, one refrigerator is ample, and unplug devices when not in use (phantom loads). The average in Alberta is about 7200 kWh of electricity each year – their consumption is roughly 60% lower than average. Again, they are not sacrificing. They are simply not wasting.

Water use for two people living in the home ranges from 5 cubic meters per month in the winter, and up to 12 cubic meters in the summer when watering their garden. Annually, this adds up to about 80 cubic meters. This is about one-third of the average water usage for a home in Lethbridge. They simply remain conscious of their consumption – short showers, no running taps, wash clothes when they need to be washed, and discretely pee outside on the brown lawn (not really).

Another member of the SAGE Board has converted the lawn to a xeriscape – that is, drought tolerant plants appropriate for the regional climate. Their summer water consumption dropped by 50%, thus reducing the annual water consumption from 125 to 84 cubic meters each year.

We can all be this diligent.

What can you do? Have a look at your Utility bill for electricity [kWh], natural gas [GJ] and water [m3], and keep track of your consumption. A simple hand-plotted chart on your refrigerator is all you need. Think about where you waste these resources and try to improve over time.

Reduction is the absolutely best way to preserve resources and reduce pollution. And you save money, too.