Heating and cooling consumer tips
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General
- Allow your workers to wear comfortable clothing during hot weather. It makes little sense to keep a room cold enough that workers must wear suits, sweaters and coats.
- Take advantage of cool nights and morning air by venting your business.
- Reduce use of heat-producing equipment such as printers or fax machines, and turn off any equipment not in use.
Control Systems
- Use a programmable thermostat and make it easy to adjust the settings as well as regulate the temperature when you are closed to avoid unnecessary cooling costs.
- Consider putting a lockable case over the thermostat to prevent indiscriminate adjustment.
- It's critical to have your maintenance contractor check the control systems. Inadequate or incorrectly operating controls can increase your costs by 20 per cent or more. One key area for savings is night setback. Controls should be set so that general areas, offices, etc., are set back to 16°C (61°F) outside hours of usage.
- Use electronic controls to operate boilers and heating pumps only when needed.
- Set temperature controls to 16°C (61°F). This temperature is usually sufficient for corridors, stairs and hallways.
Windows and Doors
- Close window blinds to shade your rooms from direct sunlight.
- Install window film, solar screens or awning in south and west facing windows. Open the window blinds and remove solar screens, blinds or awnings on south and west facing windows to help increase heat gain during the winter. (Remember to replace them in the summer).
- Solar control window films applied to existing glass in windows and doors is an effective method to reduce peak demand during hot months and conserve energy anytime air conditioning might be required. In addition to the energy management benefits, the use of these films can also reduce exposure to ultraviolet radiation and reduce glare. Visit the International Window Film Association for more information.
- Open blinds or window coverings to heat your building and use daylighting when sufficient, and close them to keep the sun’s heat out when you have the air conditioning turned on.
- Try not to open windows. If your workplace is too hot, turn the heating down.
- Draft-proof windows and doors with weather stripping.
- Install double-glazed windows to reduce your use of natural gas. Double-glazed windows also help reduce noise levels and improve comfort levels. The payback period on this capital cost is typically 10 – 15 years.
- To save energy, keep your exterior and freight doors closed as much as possible. Consumers frequently complain about retailers who run their air conditioning on high to keep their stores as cold as possible while leaving their doors wide open.
Ventilation
- Install ceiling fans - they make it feel at least four degrees cooler during the summer.
- Rewire restroom fans to operate when the lights are turned on.
- Keep heating vents unobstructed. In offices, this includes furniture placed over floor vents. Air should be able to move across the entire room.
- Use exhaust fans only when necessary. In winter they expel heated air and in summer they expel cooled air, forcing systems to operate needlessly.
HVAC
- When buying new cooling and ventilation units - choose ENERGY STAR®. They are 20 to 30 per cent more efficient than older models.
- Install an air conditioning-economizer to bring in outside air when it's cool.
- Consider getting a heat recovery system to reduce heat lost from air exiting your building through the ventilation system exhaust. You could save up to 60-70 per cent of heat lost through air ventilation with an air-to-air heat exchanger, particularly for kitchen exhaust ventilation.
- If your boiler is over 25-years old, it may need replacing. Installing new, high-efficiency units can reduce your natural gas usage by 30 per cent or more.
- Use the proper size of furnace or air conditioning unit. A larger unit does not necessarily heat or cool the room better.
Insulation
- Insulate water heaters and supply pipes.
- If possible, install ceiling and wall insulation. You will save money on your monthly utility bills and your employees will be more comfortable.
- Use suspended ceilings to reduce heating costs and act as extra insulation.
- Ensure all bare heating pipes, valves and flanges are insulated in mechanical rooms and unheated areas. Often the pipes are insulated but the valves and flanges are not and this lack of insulation can result in wasted energy.
- Insulate expansion tanks and heat exchangers.
- Insulate all heating ductwork located in unheated areas.
- When renovating, check insulation levels and upgrade to current standards where possible
Building Materials
- Install ENERGY STAR labeled reflected "Cool Roof" roofing materials.
Water Heaters
- Tank-type heaters
- Make sure these heaters are part of the annual maintenance schedule.
- Flush the tanks yearly to maintain proper heat transfer and improve life expectancy
- Volume water heaters (domestic water boilers)
- Make sure these water heaters are part of the annual maintenance schedule.
- To ensure proper operation, set the boiler operating control to a temperature above 65°C (150°F).
- Set the water temperature to 55°C (131°F). Settings above this temperature wastes energy; settings below this temperature can lead to increased bacterial growth.
- Install a timer on your electric water heater and set it to run after 6 a.m. and go off before 7 p.m.
Maintenance
- At the beginning of the heating season
- Inspect, test and tune up heating system - adjust, replace filters, nozzle or other parts
- Turn down heating to minimum in unoccupied areas
- Check thermostat accuracy
- Adjust thermostats for required heating levels
- Cover window air conditioners
- Check for cracks around windows, doors, and structure - caulk as required
- At the beginning of cooling season
- Inspect, test, clean air conditioning system, wash air condensers with high-pressure water washer
- Turn off air conditioning in unoccupied areas
- Adjust thermostats for desired cooling levels
- Adjust outdoor light timers for length of day and/or daylight saving
- When daylight savings starts and ends
- Adjust outdoor light timers for length of day
- At beginning of a weekend or other holiday period
- Set back thermostats for heating or air conditioning
- Turn off all lights except safety and security lights
- Turn off hot water (if closed two or more days)
- Check any automatic HVAC controls for accuracy of settings
- At the beginning of the day
- Turn off outside safety/security lights
- During partial occupancy early in the day and at the end of the day
- Use only necessary lighting, heating, air conditioning
- If there are small areas that need more heat, use supplementary heat sources.
- During full operating hours
- Adjust thermostats for desired heating or air conditioning levels
- Turn off lights when areas are not occupied
- Adjust heating, cooling levels for comfort
- Keep doors and windows closed
- At closing
- Turn off all lights except safety and security lights
- In hot season, use ventilation system to admit night air if it will cool building
 
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