Nearly half of your overall energy expenses are attributed to your heating and cooling system, making it the biggest energy hog in your house. In the summer and winter, when temperature control is used the most, your utility costs increase significantly. Winter can be particularly difficult because heating expenses are necessary for survival.
Thankfully, there are a few easy methods to stay warm this winter while saving money on your power bill and lowering your heating bills.
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Allow the sun come in during the day
The sun is a great source of free heat, which explains why the family cat enjoys taking naps in sunbeams. During the day, you can take advantage of the greenhouse effect and let the sun heat your home naturally by opening your curtains and blinds.
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Make sure you close the curtains at night
Sadly, because windows are not as well insulated as your walls, they can also be a source of heat loss. When the sun sets, draw the drapes and blinds to keep chilly air from entering your house. Should you want to increase the energy efficiency of your windows, think about investing in insulated curtains.
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Remove Any Air Leaks and drafts
It’s easy, affordable, and effective to seal the air in your home. Weatherstripping and caulking will typically pay for itself in energy savings in less than a year. For gaps and crevices between immovable items, such as door and window frames, use caulk. Weatherstripping can be used around any moving parts, such as window sashes or the door
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External doors
One of the main sources of draft issue is doors. Examine the weather stripping and seals surrounding the door frame if your door is draughty. If any weather stripping is missing or damaged, replace it, and caulk any cracked seals.
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Windows
Windows are a key cause of drafts and heat loss, particularly in older homes. Use clear plastic cling wrap to seal the frame of your windows to insulate them throughout the winter. Window film is available at any home improvement store or online, is inexpensive, simple to apply, and quick to remove in the spring. Your home’s windows can all be insulated for a few dollars, but the savings on your heating bill add up over time.
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Basement and Attic
The biggest air leaks are hidden on the attic and basement levels, so be sure to properly inspect these areas when looking for leaks. To seal the minor cracks, use caulk or foam. It can be necessary to install or replace insulation in larger gaps.
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Unexpected Heat Seepage
Drafts can come from a few other places besides doors and windows, which you might not have considered. Electrical outlets, light fixtures, air conditioning systems, and gaps in your insulation can all let cold air into your home.
Although a lighted fireplace is a terrific method to stay warm in the winter, when it is not in use, it can let cold air in. When not in use, keep your damper closed on your fireplace. The chimney flue should be sealed and plugged if you never use your fireplace.
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Shut off the vents and doors in empty rooms.
Do you have a spare room that you never use except when your in-laws visit? A room for storage? The children may be away at college. Regardless of the cause, you’re squandering energy in the winter to heat a room in your home that is rarely used. Shut all of the doors and vents in the room. By doing this, you won’t have to spend to heat empty space.
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Use blankets and clothing to stay warm
Heating your body is far less expensive than heating your home. To make up for it, wear warm socks and a cosy jumper throughout the house and keep the temperature down. Under a heavy blanket, comforter, or duvet, stay warm at night.
Consider getting your dog a doggie jumper if you’re worried about them staying warm. Cats shouldn’t be wearing sweaters. Cats seem to have an innate capacity to locate the warmest location in the house regardless of clothing, on top of their hatred of clothes.
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Change the Thermostat on Your Water Heater
Water heaters use the second most energy in homes, after air conditioning and heating systems. Heating water uses a lot of energy, and most people have their water heater’s thermostat set far too high.
After heating the water to a predetermined temperature, your water heater keeps it there continuously. This implies that, whether you use it or not, your water heater just keeps reheating water to that temperature by cycling on and off. You may reduce your energy costs by a few bucks by simply turning down the temperature on your water heater. You probably won’t even notice the change unless you regularly take showers at temperatures that burn your skin.
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Maintain Air Circulation
It’s common knowledge that ceiling fans are an excellent means of keeping cool during the summer, but did you also know that they can provide warmth throughout the winter months?
Ceiling fans often spin anticlockwise, forcing air downward and creating a little wind chill effect that makes you feel cooler. The majority of ceiling fans, however, feature a reverse switch that allows them to rotate in a clockwise direction, creating an updraft and dispersing the warm air that gathers close to the ceiling across the remaining space in the room.
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Make use of space heaters
Consider utilising a space heater if you simply need to heat a small area. Because electric space heaters don’t need combustion or ducting to lose heat, they are an extremely energy-efficient method of staying warm. Space heaters are great for heating enclosed spaces that you use for brief periods of time, such as your garage or that bathroom that seems to constantly be colder than the rest of the house. Space heaters, however, are not as effective as a heat pump or a natural gas furnace for heating a whole house.
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Select LED Lighting for Your Interior Design and Home
This holiday season, if you’re organising a lavish Christmas light display, think about utilising LED lights. The most energy-efficient lighting option on the market right now is LED lighting. They last 25 times longer and consume 75% less energy than conventional incandescent lights. Although LEDs need a somewhat higher initial investment, they are so resilient and long-lasting that your descendants may still be using the same string of lights forty years from today. Because they consume so little power, a normal wall socket can support 25 strings of festive LED lights connected end to end without being overloaded.
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Keep the oven door open after using it.
Using your oven to heat your entire house would be a wasteful use of energy. Still, there’s no reason to waste that heat if you’re using it anyhow. Once you remove your food from the oven, keep the door slightly ajar to let the excess heat out and warm your kitchen.
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Reduce the Home’s Temperature
Even a small drop in temperature can have a big long-term financial impact on your house. Set your thermostat to the lowest setting that is comfortable for you.
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Lower the thermostat When You Fall asleep
The U.S. Department of Energy claims that only lowering your thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day can result in a 10% savings on your energy cost. When no one is home and everyone is asleep, lower the thermostat. You’ll save money and be toasty warm under your heavy blankets.
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Purchase a Wi-Fi thermostat
Better still, think about getting a smart thermostat. An intelligent thermostat is a Wi-Fi capable gadget that optimises your home’s temperature settings for maximum energy savings. These gadgets pick up on your routines and preferences, creating a timetable that auto-adjusts to lower temperatures when you are sleeping or travelling.
Make sure to look into any rebates or other benefits that may be available in your area to help you save money on a new device. Certain states and local city governments offer incentives for installing smart thermostats. Check with your energy supplier as well; they may be able to provide special savings on smart thermostats.
Conclusion
Saving energy is not only something to do in the cold. You’ll save money all year round with several of these suggestions. Air stripping, insulated curtains and smart thermostats are all as effective in the summertime, even though you wouldn’t want to wear a heavy jumper in front of a space heater.
These methods work just as well for keeping you warm in the winter as they do for keeping your house cool in the summer. It makes sense to save energy throughout the winter in order to save money all year long.
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