Winter Electricity Tips for Submetered Apartments

Winter in Ontario often brings higher electricity bills, particularly for residents with electric heating or who rely on portable heaters. If you live in a submetered building, here are practical steps you can take to manage your winter consumption.

Start with your thermostat. If your suite has individual temperature control, setting it to a comfortable but moderate temperature (around 20 to 21 degrees Celsius when you are home, lower when you are away or sleeping) can make a meaningful difference. Even a 1-degree reduction can affect consumption over a full heating season.

Check for drafts around windows and doors. Even in well-maintained buildings, weather stripping can degrade over time. If you notice cold drafts, report them to your property manager. In the meantime, simple draft stoppers or window insulation film can help reduce heat loss and the need for supplemental heating.

Portable space heaters are one of the largest contributors to high winter electricity bills in apartments. If you find yourself using a space heater regularly, it may indicate a comfort issue that should be reported to building management rather than compensated with additional heating equipment.

Take advantage of Time of Use (TOU) rates if your building is on TOU pricing. Running your dishwasher, laundry, and other flexible loads during off-peak hours (typically overnight and weekends) means those loads cost less per kilowatt-hour.

Lighting is another area where small changes add up. Switching to LED bulbs if you have not already, turning off lights in rooms you are not using, and using task lighting instead of overhead lights can all reduce consumption. In winter, when we use lights for more hours per day, these savings are amplified.

Your submetering bill shows your consumption in detail. Review it each month to understand your usage patterns. If you see an unexpected increase, it may indicate an appliance issue or a change in habits that you can address.