How To Keep Your Home Running Efficiently

Julie Starr • January 28, 2022



Home efficiency is the idea that we can make our homes more efficient in order to save money, reduce environmental impact, and improve the
quality of life . But it’s not always easy to know how you can do this. When you think about efficiency, you should not just think about how much energy you use but also consider how that energy is used. Let’s take a look at how you can run your home better.

What are the Key Factors That Influence Home Efficiency?

The key factors that influence home efficiency are the cost of electricity, the size of your house, and how much time you spend at home. You’ll want to make sure that you’re not wasting resources and that you’re able to track what you’re spending. Let’s take a look at efficiency-boosting tips next.

What are the Best Ways to Stay Efficient with Energy?

Energy efficiency is a key factor in the world of today. It has become more important than ever as the world moves towards a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. It is important to be aware of what are the best ways to stay efficient with energy.

The first way to stay efficient with energy is by purchasing an electric power-saving device. These devices will make sure that you save money on electricity bills and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time!

The second way to stay efficient with energy is by using energy-efficient appliances in your home. They will make sure that you are not wasting money on unnecessary electricity bills and they will also help you reduce your carbon footprint!

How to Get started with an Energy Audit

Energy audits are a great way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your home. You can do the audit yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. To do this, you can

– Take inventory of your current energy usage and find out how much money you are spending on electricity, natural gas, and other utilities.

– Find out what types of appliances you have in your home and what type of efficiency they have.

– Make sure that all of your appliances are in good working condition.

How to Maximize the Life of Your Appliances

The efficiency of your appliances can significantly influence the efficiency of your home. So, keeping them running well is a good option. This can include your HVAC system, kitchen appliances, shower, and more! Be sure to run regular maintenance checks and look out for replacements or heating and cooling parts near me to make the necessary upgrades. Many people don’t know how to properly maintain their appliances. There are some simple steps that can help you save money in the long run by keeping your appliances running for longer.

An Energy-Conserving and Sustainably Built Home is the Future of Today’s Homes

Homes of the future should be more energy-efficient and sustainable. With the population growing and more people moving into urban areas, this means that we will have to build a lot more homes in order to accommodate everyone. It’s important that we all try to be as efficient as possible for the future.

By Julie Starr July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.
By Julie Starr July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.