It’s that time of year again when the cold weather takes a toll on your house and you start noticing your bills going through the roof. It’s a struggle to find the balance between keeping warm and not getting too stingy. We have some tips and tricks to get your house ready for the cold weather approaching rapidly and keep you on track for your budget.
- Change furnace filters
This is easy to forget to do but it’s important to replace or clean furnace filters once a month while you are heating your home.
- Run fans in reverse
Did you know if you turn the fan blades in reverse direction the clockwise rotation produces warmer air? Air that is pulled near the ceiling is circulated back into the room. By doing so, you can cut your heating costs as much as 10 percent.
- Door drafts
Door drafts can waste up to 5-30 percent of the energy in your house. A tip is to roll up a bath towel and place it under a drafty door to reduce the amount of cold air that is coming into the house.
- Put in storm doors and windows
This is especially ideal for an older home because just by simply installing new doors and windows it will increase energy efficiency by 45 percent. Storm doors also offer greater flexibility for letting light in which in return will help warm up your house by natural lighting from the sun.
- Control your thermostat
The biggest struggle is what temperature to set the thermostat. Most households spend 50 to 70 percent of their energy budgets on heating and cooling. A tip is to program the thermostat because instead of the constant change, keeping at a constant and maintainable temperature will help to cut your heating cost this winter.
- Put up plastic
By simply installing window plastic serves as a double bonus because it is essentially invisible and will keep a buffer against drafts/ extra still air space. This feature can give a nice boost to your home’s ability to hold heat.
- Caulking and weather-stripping
Place caulking around corners, chimneys, pipes or wires that exit and along the foundation. Caulking around these areas will cut off a draft from coming into your house.
- Boost Insulation
It may seem silly but one of the best ways to save energy and money in your home is by placing more insulation between walls and making sure your attic floor and basement ceiling are well covered.
- Layer up
Not only are sweaters comfy and cozy, they can add up to 2 degrees in warmth! It is all about saving money and cutting back on cost.
- Insulate pipes/seal ducts
Paying less for hot water is as simple as insulating the pipes. This is also cost efficient and takes less energy to heat up cold pipes! Another good reason to insulate the pipes is to help to decrease the risk for frozen pipes. Studies show that an average of 10 to 30 percent of the heated air in an average system escapes from ducts. This is like throwing money away!
- Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency will not only help you save money and help to improve your home’s value, but is also good for the environment by not sucking so much energy just to keep your house warm.
