Surviving another Toronto Winter

Surviving winter is not an easy task, especially in Canada, but with these tips and gadgets winter should be a breeze (no pun intended). Let’s look at some gadgets that could make the winter months a little more tolerable.

If you’re looking for a way to save money on your energy bills, check out the Nest thermostat. This is a “learning” thermostat, meaning it tracks your temperature preferences and learns from them. Better still, it can be controlled from your phone.

If you’re going away for the weekend you can turn the thermostat down and a few hours before you get home you can turn it back up using the mobile app. This ensures your house is nice and toasty, while reducing your electrical bill.

And while you’re on the road, you should consider upgrading to a highly rated winter tire. Many consumers feel that all-season tires are adequate, and that may be true in a milder climate, but in Canada the winters are too severe and too much snow piles up for an all-season tire to handle.

Developed in Finland, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta is recognized as one of the top winter tires in the world. Or, if you’re looking for something more reasonably priced you might consider the Hankook i*cept, also a very competent, highly recommended option.

And here’s a tip to keep your hands from freezing while using your smart phone outdoors (as we all do). The “touchscreen glove” market has taken off. There are several options including the Dots gloves and the more expensive North Face ETip gloves, but the aim is clear, to allow consumers to use their devices in frigid weather.

Finally, here are a few tips for winterizing your home including:

1. Making sure all doorways and windows are 100% sealed. That means checking to make sure there is no draft coming in, and if there is, buying or making a “draft snake” to cover the bottom of the doorway.A “draft snake” can be made simply by rolling up a towel or making some variation with googly eyes or any other funky designs, so long as it gets rid of the draft.

   They can also be bought very inexpensively from stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart and other home stores. Making sure your house is well sealed could help you avoid a hefty energy bill.

2. Replace your furnace filters. Considering your furnace filter keeps the air you breathe clean, this should be a consideration year round. Unfortunately, a dirty filter can increase the energy demands of your furnace because it takes more energy to simply get air through the filter.Checking the filter every month is a good policy, and if there is a fair amount of buildup, replacing them will save you some money!
3. Run ceiling fans in reverse. Ceiling fans are fairly common, but a lot of people don’t know that these fans often have switches that allow you to run the fan in reverse. By running the fan in reverse you’re actually bringing down some of the warm air from the ceiling, resulting in energy savings.

We hope these tips have been helpful! If you have any questions or suggestions for an upcoming article please call us at 416 966-3306 or email us at [email protected].