As winter approaches, here are some easy things you can do to make your home more efficient:
- Let the sunlight in to warm your home. Raise your blinds and open curtains during the day to let the sun heat your home. Remember to close them at night to help keep heat in.
- Lower your thermostat setting by one degree. This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your power bill and can save you 3% on your heating bill in just 24 hours.
- Install a programmable thermostat to automatically lower the setting while you are away from home during the day and through the night. Lowering your thermostat to 55 degrees at night can save you as much as 13%.
- Look outside for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes and seal them.
- Use weather stripping around doors to help block cold air from outside, and caulk windows.
- Replace cracked glass in windows; prime/paint exposed wood for any full windows you replace.
- If you have a basement, protect window wells by covering them with plastic shields.
- Switch summer screens with glass replacements or storm windows if you have them.
- Run ceiling fans in reverse on low speed to pull warm air from the ceiling down to the living space.
Using these tips can help you stay warm this winter without a high heating bill.
