You have questions, we have answers.
Talking about saving energy can be a frustrating and confusing topic, and we’re here to help clear the air so you can save money, save energy, and save the environment.
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions, but if you have more specific questions, please reach out to our resident energy efficiency guru Spencer Hruden.
What’s energy efficiency?
Energy efficiency means lowering the amount of electricity, natural gas, or other fuel needed to complete a task.
As an example, standard light bulbs used to take more electricity to power. As bulbs became more energy efficient, it took less energy to light up a room. Now that we’re using less energy for lighting, there’s more electricity available for other things like powering a stove or charging an electric vehicle.
Energy efficiency applies to much more than lightbulbs, however. Almost everything we do takes energy of some kind, and creates another opportunity to lower the amount we use.
What kind of changes make homes more energy efficient?
In the average home, there are a variety of ways to decrease energy usage, which can depend on how the home was built as well as how old the home is.
This can include switching to LED lighting, adding more insulation, upgrading to triple-pane windows and doors, better sealing your building envelope, buying efficient appliances like washers and dryers, switching to a higher efficiency source of water heating as well as space heating and cooling, and installation of smart thermostats and solar panels.
These changes don’t only apply to single-detached houses, but also to apartment buildings and condos, as well as to commercial buildings such as offices and businesses.
What if I live in an apartment building?
Apartments can enhance their building in many of the same ways as a home, simply at a different scale. Additionally, Efficiency Manitoba offers several programs that specifically target apartments. Contact us for further information
What kind of changes can a business make to become more energy efficient?
The average business can enhance their building in many of the same ways as a home, simply at a different scale. Additionally, Efficiency Manitoba offers several programs that specifically target apartments. Contact us for further information
How can being energy efficient benefit the environment?
All energy use comes with a price, and not just the dollar amount on your bill. All energy has an associated emission tied to its use, and these greenhouse gas emissions are what fuel climate change. Less energy use means less emissions.
In Manitoba, we primarily rely on burning natural gas to heat our homes and businesses; this produces high emissions, accounting for approximately 18% of the province’s greenhouse gas emissions. To slow climate change, and eventually stop it, humans need to stop burning fossil fuels like gasoline and natural gas.
We also rely on hydroelectric dams to generate electricity, producing relatively low emissions. These dams are mostly situated in the northern reaches of Manitoba, and while they have provided renewable power to Manitobans for decades, the construction of the dams and the manipulation of waterways has devastated large swaths of the environment in the province as well as the Indigenous communities that relied on the land for their health, safety, and livelihoods.
If we can lower our demand for electricity as consumers, the longer Manitoba Hydro can go before needing to build more dams. However, using less natural gas typically entails using more electricity. This path lowers our emissions, but risks needing more dams.
How does driving an electric make an impact on the environment?
In Manitoba, 40% of our greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector. Of that 40%, about 65% of the emissions come from personal vehicles.
To slow climate change, we need to find other ways of getting around. Cycling, walking, or getting an electric vehicle will all reduce your transportation emissions.
What if I can’t afford to make the retrofits to my home?
There are federal and provincial programs to help fund energy efficiency retrofits, which we can help you navigate. There are also tailor-made programs with increased funding for lower-income individuals/families, as well as for Indigenous individuals/families. Contact us for further information.
