#1 Adjust your behaviour


This is quick and easy to do and best of all, it's free. Switch off lights when not in use. Set back the setpoint on your HVAC system in the winter a few degrees and wear warmer clothes. Switch off your AC in the summer and use it sparingly only when you really need it. If you have children, make sure they close doors and windows to avoid heating or cooling the neighborhood. Try to use hot water sparingly. Heating water is one of the largest consumers of power in the home. Taking shorter showers can substantially reduce energy consumption required to heat water and lower utility bills.
Father and son happily installed the TrickleStar Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

#2 Replace old CFL and incandescent light with LED lighting.


Good quality, well priced LED lighting is readily available now. Apart from saving energy, LED lighting provides a nicer, less harsh light than most CFL bulbs, lasts longer and will reduce your energy use.
A lady changing the LED light bulb
A family watching tv
Pictures of T1 and T2 Advanced PowerStrips

#3 Install a TrickleStar® Advanced PowerStrip.


Standby power has a huge impact on the environment. Also known as vampire power, leaking electricity or phantom load, standby power is wasted electrical energy consumed while products and appliances are switched off but still plugged in. These devices range from televisions, home entertainment systems, personal computers and peripherals, to space heaters, room air-conditioners and even coffee pots – all of which continue to draw power even when they are turned off. Averaging 10-15 watts per hour per device, standby power is a constant drain on people’s wallets as well as the electrical grid, resulting in a huge impact on the environment and our planet.

Here are some sobering facts about the effects of standby power:

  • The amount of standby power wasted accounts for as much as 12% of all residential power; a bit lower in some countries, a bit higher in others.
  • 75% of all power used by plug-in devices is wasted.
  • The average US household wastes over 1,300 kWh of electricity each year. To generate that amount of electricity would require over a half-a-ton of coal or nearly 32 gallons of oil!
  • The cost of standby power in the United States is $4-8 billion annually.
  • Plug-in load is the fastest growing category of residential and commercial energy use in North America.
  • Vampire power wasted in the U.S. is enough to meet the electricity needs of Vietnam, Peru and Greece.


An Advanced PowerStrip is an easy, low-cost way to eliminate standby power and reduce energy bills. Most homes have at least 2 -3 TVs, so install an Advanced PowerStrip with each TV. Apart from reducing energy waste, Advanced PowerStrips also provides surge protection for sensitive electronics and can help extend the lifespan.
Picture of the TrickleStar Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat and it's mobile App

#4 Install a Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat


A smart thermostat is a great way to manage your HVAC system more efficiently and conserve energy. Configure schedules to automate when to switch your system on or off. Save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling simply by turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from the normal settings. Save energy easily in the winter by setting the smart thermostat to 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.

A big energy saver in the summer months is to switch off your HVAC when you are not at home. Typically cooling occurs quicker than heating and switching the AC on 30 minutes before you get home will have the temperature at a comfortable level for your arrival. In addition to saving energy, there are many benefits to being able to remotely control and monitor your HVAC system remotely via the TrickleStar® App or Portal. Check out the TrickleStar® Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat™ to optimize your comfort and maximize savings.

#5 Install an Electric Water Heater Controller


An electric water heater controller is a great way to save money. Heat your water tank at night or when power is cheap. Water tanks are thermally insulated so it will keep the water hot for hours. Many utilities offer Time Of use rates where power is significantly cheaper. An electric water heater controller will allow you to optimize energy use, schedule when to heat water and to take advantage of these lower costs and to avoid peak periods where power is more costly. Check out the TrickleStar® Electric Water Heater Controller™ to optimize your comfort and maximize savings.
Picture of the TrickleStar Water Heater Controller and it's mobile App

#6 Install a TrickleStar® DryerSaver™️


Drying clothes with an electric clothes dryer is especially power intensive. Many electric clothes dryers are installed with timers and have no humidity sensors so they tend to run for much longer than needed, wasting power and damaging your clothes. Many newer electric clothes dryers use older generation thermistors which are less accurate and can foul leading to needless over-drying. A TrickleStar® DryerSaver™️ is a simple, easy retrofit to all electric clothes dryers, preventing overdrying and lowering energy bills. Also, ensure your dryer exhaust duct is cleaned regularly to avoid the risk of a duct fire and to speed up drying times with good ventilation.
A happy mother drying up clothes using TrickleStar DryerSaver
A happy family with the energy saving refrigerator at the background

#7 Install a new EnergyStar Refrigerator


An old refrigerator can use almost twice as much energy as a new energy efficient refrigerator. You could save more than $270 a year in utility costs over the next 5 years by replacing an old refrigerator with a new energy efficient refrigerator. A new energy efficient refrigerator could reduce your carbon footprint by >8,500 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetime of the product. Plus, by properly recycling your old refrigerator, you can prevent the release of refrigerants and foams from getting into the environment, preventing even more greenhouse gas emissions. Many utilities offer rebates and incentives towards the purchase of a new ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator and many offer rebates to help offset the costs associated with recycling your old refrigerator.