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During any cold winter period, following these timely tips for staying warm without increasing your energy bill is a cost-effective way to save money and stay warm. During this slow growth economic period that we are in, spending money wisely in order to stay warm is a wise spending decision.
In the winter energy costs can soar in a hurry. Keeping your home warm and cosy comes with a price! You need to consider why your energy costs are so high and what you can do about keeping these costs lower. Some people are able to reduce their energy costs just by adjusting the thermostat but what if you still see the costs are high?
It may indicate that you have a problem with a draft and improper insulation in your home. Where is all the hot air going? Out the windows, doors, and through your attic! You need to try some of the following energy savings tips out this winter in order to cut down on your costs:
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Follow these energy savings tips this winter
Re-Insulate Your Home
There are companies that will come out and evaluate how much insulation you have in your home. When they measure it they can let you know if you need more insulation and can easily add an extra layer to your attic. A lot of companies will even do it for free if you qualify for the energy tax cut. This is a great way to reduce energy costs as you won’t have as much heat escaping from your home.
Upgrade Your Windows
Single-paned windows can allow cold air in and hot air out. They really do not provide you with much as far as energy savings go. You need to invest in some new windows for your home. What if you cannot afford them? Another thing you can do is purchase window covers. These covers will allow you to take a thin layer of plastic and cover the window, allowing for about a 2-inch gap between the window and the plastic.
You will secure the plastic in place with tape and it acts like an extra layer of the window to your home. Use some energy saving curtains as well. Curtains that block out the cold can be a wonderful benefit to your home and can easily cut down on utility costs.
Time For A New Furnace
You should consider replacing an older furnace with a new one that is energy efficient. This cut costs as well but the new furnace is also created to save energy so you aren’t hearing it click on as often. A natural gas furnace is the best way to really cut down on your utility bills
Always replace your furnace filter yearly and in the winter you might want to do it monthly. This allows for fresh air to be pumped through the home but it is an effective way to keep energy costs down as the furnace doesn’t need to work as hard.
Check around the windows and doors to see if you have enough weather stripping. Having plenty of weather stripping will prevent the hot air from escaping from your home.
Keep Your Home Colder At Night
Go as cold as 60 degrees if you can stand it since you can just snuggle under a blanket. During the day leave it at 68 and just wrap it in a blanket and sip hot chocolate! While you may not think so, it is an effective way to save money! If you have a new baby in the home you have to keep their room at 70 degrees, no less so you need to use a space heater to help maintain a warmer room for them while the rest of the family can deal with an extra blanket at night.
A Few More Tips:
- Purchase a programmable thermostat for your heating systems. Keep the house at least 68 degrees or less. During the evening period while you are sleeping turn the heat down to 63 degrees. While you are out working, turn your heat down as well.
- It is a good idea to supplement your home heating with a portable electric heater located in the most frequently used rooms. Don’t be afraid to wear a sweater or heavy sweatshirt during the day. At night, you can utilize an electric blanket to stay warm as well.
- During the wintertime, your home can be very dry. Use a humidifier to provide additional moisture in your home. By utilizing a humidifier, your home will go from feeling like 68 degrees to feeling like 76 degrees.
- Insulate your attic and house. The Department of Energy recommends at least 11/12 inches of insulation in your attic. Also, insulate your electric outlets that face the exterior walls.
- Make sure that you don’t cover or block your heating radiators or heating vents with furniture. If you have one of those old-style heating radiators, place a sheet of aluminium foil behind the radiator so that heat can be reflected back into the room. Place floor lamps and hanging lights in the corners of your rooms so that the light can be reflected by the walls.
- Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs to save energy use and money. Don’t forget to turn off the lights in the rooms you are not utilizing.
- Caulk and weather strip your doors and windows. Also, caulk your floorboards in your basement ceiling. Clean your heating ducts and utilize duct tape to plug any holes that you can see. If you have hardwood floors purchase an area rug to provide additional coverage to your floors.
- Utilize energy savings clear plastic window kits. Purchase heavy drapes to cover the windows during the evening period. Let the sunshine in during the daylight hours to provide additional heat.
- Get solar panels on your roof. These might not sound like the ideal thing for winter when there’s less sun, but they do actually work all year round, plus, if you’ve got a good battery, like Duracell Energy battery storage, you can store the excess energy from the sunnier months and use it – without cost – during the winter if you need to.
Reducing your energy costs in the winter need to be one of your top priorities. Look for different ways in which you can easily reduce these costs so you aren’t spending hundreds of dollars to waste heat!
