With last winter one of the most brutal in memory, its a smart idea to start thinking of ways to stay warm this season. Here are 10 straightforward tips to make your home more energy-efficient and reduce your heating bill.
- Weather-stripping, insulation and roofing: Up to 40% of your homes winter heat loss is due to air leakage. It may seem old school to many, but applying caulking and weather-stripping to interior and exterior of windows and doors, around the chimney, or where pipes or wires enter or exit your home is a low-cost way to weatherproof your home and save. Insulating pipes also makes them more efficient and less prone to freezing. Adding extra insulation in your attic saves energy too. And check your roof for missing shingles or damaged flashing around vents and other roof openings.
- Draft snakes: Drafts from doors and windows can waste 5 to 30% of the energy from your home. A draft snake anything from a rolled up towel to a more stylized stopper is a quick and easy way to insulate an inside or outside door or the bottoms of windows. Or if youre into DIY, you can make one yourself.
- Storm doors: Energy Star-certified storm doors and windows can take some time to install but they dramatically drop in the energy your home uses over the winter months.
- Air filters: Like flossing your teeth, changing air filters is something many of us often forget to do. But clean furnace filters are a must especially when the heat is on all winter long. Thats because dirty filters restrict air in and out of your unit and make it much less efficient. Disposable fiberglass filters are inexpensive, so change yours once a month if you have a habit of forgetting, mark your calendar or set a reminder on your smartphone. You may want to also consider permanent electrostatic or HEPA filters theyre pricier but they trap a lot more bacteria, mold and other airborne particles.
- Reverse fans: If your ceiling fan only gathers dust in the winter, youre not making the best use of it. Most fans today have a switch that reverses the rotation of blades counterclockwise rotation in the summer creates a cool breeze but, in winter, spin it clockwise and send rising hot air back down to warm your rooms.
- Water heater: Many conventional water heaters are automatically set to 140°F but 120°F is more than hot enough and can reduce your heating costs by up to 10%. For even greater savings, consider a tankless water heater, which heats water only when its needed, or solar power, which costs nothing once the hardware is installed.
- Programmable thermostat: For every degree you lower your heating in winter, you can save between 1 and 3% on your heating bill. That really adds up. If you forget to lower the thermostat when you sleep or leave the house, consider a programmable device. New high-tech learning thermostats that program themselves and can be controlled from your smartphone or tablet reduce your energy use by up to 20%.
- Windbreaks: Trees planted around your home arent there simply for aesthetics. Evergreens are particularly effective as windbreaks, saving you up to 30% in energy costs.
- Layering: Of course our ancestors didnt have the luxury of HVAC units or solar-powered heaters. When the temperature dropped, they layered on pelts. While were not suggesting you revert back to wearing animal skins, a good, old-fashioned wool sweater or long johns can make your surroundings feel several degrees warmer.
- Audit: Ask your local utility company if it offers a home energy audit an inspector will check your heating system as well as leaks, gaps, pipes and other inefficiencies. It can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.
Inquire from your, local, state or federal energy department about rebates, tax credits and other incentives you may be eligible for by winterizing your home or installing renewable energy technologies. Visit the U.S. Department of Energys Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency for money- and energy-saving initiatives near you.
How are you making your home more energy-efficient and saving money this winter? Share your ideas in the Shop Talk Blog community forum!
And remember to visit our Facebook page to answer this months live poll!
Did you know?
Space heating is the biggest energy expense in the average US home accounting for 45% of your energy bill.
(Source: energy.gov)
I like Autumm and Winter
I hate sring snd summer weather.