10 Tips for a Warm,
Efficient, and Sustainable Home This Winter
By Tim Smith
Winter temperatures can be hard on your heating bills, but
there are some steps you can take to save energy, help the environment, and put
a few bucks back in your pocket.
1. Use
energy-efficient drapes. You lose up to 40% of your heat through uncovered
windows. Make sure your draperies are lined and hang below the window frame to
insulate your windows.
2. Improve your
insulation. Proper insulation saves up to 45% in energy usage, and the savings
will more than pay for the cost of the materials and will cut your energy bills
for years to come.
3. Cover the
floors. That wonderful tile, stone, or hardwood floor looks great but can
contribute to a cold room. Consider adding area rugs for heat retention and
cozy feet.
4. Check your
thermostat setting. If you lower the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees for 8
hours of the day, your heating bill should be 5 to 15 percent lower for the
year.
Is your thermostat manual? Another way to save natural
resources, not to mention cash, is to replace a manual thermostat with a
programmable thermostat. Using pre-programmed settings for daytime, evenings,
and weekends, your savings should be about $100 per year. Be sure to turn the
temperature down before leaving for vacation too.
5. Heat is often
lost through the fireplace. Keep the flue closed, and consider adding glass
doors to hold in the heat.
6. Let the sun
help heat your home. Open drapes and blinds during warmer hours, and let the
sun shine in. If you are interested in solar heat, contact your local utility
company. There are substantial rebates, financing programs, and benefits to
using solar heat, not to mention the sustainability of solar power.
7. Make sure the
air ducts aren’t blocked or have furniture or drapes over them.
8. If your heating
system or water heater is over 10 years old, consider replacing them with
Energy Star appliances. The initial cost may seem significant, but over time
you will more than recover replacement costs through lower energy bills. Energy
Star appliances also run cleaner, reducing the carbon dioxide emissions into
the atmosphere. Check with your utility provider to find tax credits for your
new Energy Star installations.
9. Check doors and
windows for drafts and leaks. Replacing or adding weather stripping, available
at your local home improvement store, is quick and economical.
10. Have your
furnace professional inspected every two years, so you are not surprised by
unexpected furnace failure or repairs. Replace the filters on a regular basis.
Winter should be a time for the warmth of friends and family,
not for losing heat or dollars through drafty windows or inefficient
appliances. Maintain your home to keep the warmth in and the cold out.
Be sure to check out my most VIEWED post EVER: How a Family of 4 lives off of $1300 a month!
The very BEST insolation in the sprayed in foam. It is also fireproof. We have it in our all steel framed home and our R value is 30 in the walls and 50 in under the roof. We also have steel roofing. Looking at our home you would never know its any different than any other home, but its safer from fire or wind damage. Plus termites and carpenter ants can't eat it.
ReplyDeleteAwesome. Thanks for the information!
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