The arrival of winter can put a real dent in your budget. Heating costs can send your utility bill through the roof. Fortunately, there are numerous tips you can use to enjoy energy savings this winter. They include:
Open the shades and curtains during the day to take advantage of the warming sunlight. Close them at night to protect your home from cold drafts.
If you have a fireplace with an external air intake, install an airtight door on it to prevent indoor air from escaping through the chimney. If you have a traditional fireplace that uses indoor air for combustion, install operable vents on it. Close the vents when the fireplace isn't in use.
Use a portable space heater to warm the room you're in and turn down the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. Every degree you turn down your thermostat by contributes to a lower energy bill.
Install storm windows over single pane windows to reduce heat loss.
Seal gaps and cracks in your doors and windows. These allow warm indoor air to escape and cold air to leak into your home.
Add loose-fill insulation to your attic. Heat rises, so ensuring the attic is well-insulated helps keep heat inside your home.
Install a programmable thermostat to avoid wasting heat. You can set it low when you're at work and increase the heat just before you return.
Decorate for the holiday with LED lights. They're more energy efficient than traditional incandescent lighting. What's more, LED holiday lights last much longer.
Lower the water heater if you're going on vacation to reduce water heating costs. If you're planning to be away for more than two days, set it to its lowest setting.
Switch off and unplug the electronics that you're not using. They continue to consume electricity even when they're turned off.
Use these tips to take your winter energy savings to the next level without sacrificing comfort. For more useful energy-saving and HVAC tips, contact Air Assurance. Broken Arrow residents have trusted us to handle all their HVAC and plumbing needs since 1985.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, us at 918-217-8273.