Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Iqaluit, NU (Sep 23/02) - With winter on the way, Nunavut homeowners will have to start thinking about how to save energy.

Not only will this save them money, it will also save the environment.

Mac Maidens, Nunavut Power Corporation Area Superintendent, said the biggest waste of energy during the winter in the territory occurs when people leave their cars plugged in overnight.

"The big tickets Nunavut wide are timers on plug-ins. They'll cut electrical power use about 10 to 20 per cent," said Maidens.

These plug-ins allow a person to control the amount of time a car is charged.

It is recommended that a car be plugged in one out of every four hours.

Outdoor timers are available for between $20 and $36.

Another good investment is what is being called a smart or programmable thermostat.

"When you leave the house, you can program the thermostat to lower the temperature," said Maidens.

This sort of thermostat can also be programmed to turn up the heat just before it's time to wake up in the morning.

All of these small steps help conserve energy.

An option to consider year round are the fluorescent fixtures and bulbs currently available as a lighting option.

Maidens said they're quite impressive. He explained that a seven-watt fluorescent bulb would comparable to a 40- watt bulb.

Nuvanut Power Corp. is also doing its part to start maximizing on energy.

For the first time since the corporation's creation, it will be hiring an energy- efficiency expert. Maidens said the power corp. hopes to have someone on the job by mid- to late October.

The role of the new energy-efficiency expert will be to push the conservation of energy Nunavut wide.