Canadians have been wearing sweaters for months now. In fact, we’re about sick of them by this time of year, when we’re longing for any hope of spring. But that’s OK. The sweater in National Sweater Day is sort of symbolic anyways. The point is that there are all kinds of low-energy alternatives to our usual hydro-wasting ways. Since 2010, the conservation organization World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) has been calling on Canadians to turn down their thermostats a couple of degrees and don a sweater for National Sweater Day. And over a million Canadians have responded to that call. It’s just one way to bring attention to how we all have a part to play in reversing climate change. According to the WWF, if all Canadians turned their heat down a bit in the winter, we could save 2.2 megatonnes of carbon dioxide per year (the same amount as if we took 350,000 cars off the road!). So make a pledge to turn down the heat, and help WWF create their symbolic cyber sweater. And find other ways to cut back on your energy use. Here are five ideas to adopt today, and every day of the year. 1. Use your window treatments to complement your heating system, not just your home decor. Closing the curtains during the cold weather can prevent heat loss by about 10 percent, while opening them on particularly sunny days can help naturally heat your home. 2. Ensure your home has proper insulation. Insufficient attic insulation is an easy problem to fix, and it can mean saving a whole lot on your heating and cooling bills. 3. Quit washing the dishes by hand. Your dishwasher really is more efficient. You should even fight the urge to pre-rinse—for the good of the planet. But turn off the heated dry option at the end of the cycle and let the dishes air-dry on their own. 4. Do your laundry in cold water. Water heating is the third biggest energy consumer in the home, and many detergents are made to work well with cold water now, so there’s no need to waste the heat. And be sure to wash full loads to make your wash more efficient. 5. Minimize your cooking appliances. If you can avoid using your oven, do it. As the biggest cooking appliance in your kitchen, it uses the most energy. A toaster oven or slow cooker will be more efficient. And try these 10 more tips for saving energy in the kitchen.