The chilly winter season is upon us and it is a good time to think about how we can make our homes more energy efficient. Not only will it save money on your electric bill but will help you live a greener lifestyle and be more comfortable. Fortunately, none of these steps are overly burdensome or expensive.
The first one is to plug up the leaky spots around your home. If you have never thought about how heat might escape your house, you probably have numerous spots where cold air is able to rush into the living space. A common area is under outside doors where the seal has become ineffective and no longer blocks the outside air. Additionally, the weatherstripping around the remainder of the door can fail allow cold air to seep in. You can easily purchase replacement weatherstripping at a home improvement store and follow the directions to install it. Be sure to caulk gaps or cracks around the door frame. Often cold air can reach the interior of the wall through these cracks and find its way into your living space.
Consider expanding foam spray if you find larger holes or cracks that can't be filled in with caulk. One brand name is Stuff. Basically, it is a liquid that rapidly expands and then hardens. I found that it worked well to block a hole underneath my door threshold that was large enough to actually see through. Plus, the foam prevents insects and mice from entering your home.
Next, cold air can enter your home through outlets on outside walls. Check for drafts around yours and buy specially designed foam inserts to block the air flow. They are not visible when installed properly.
Windows are a huge concern for conserving energy. You can reduce the amount of heat escaping your home by covering each window with plastic. The plastic creates dead air space over your windows and retards heat loss while allowing light to enter. An alternative is to keep your drapes open on windows that are facing the sun. This way you put the sun to work heating your home. However, you have to keep all other windows draped over to prevent heat from escaping. By not covering your windows you are allowing up to 20% of heated air to escape.
Finally, technology can really help out. Consider installing a programmable thermostat. These devices can be set to only heat and cool your home when you are home. While you are away at work the thermostat can let the temperature in the winter drop ten degrees and then warm up again right before you come home. In this fashion you are not fully heating an empty house and incurring the cost. A qualified heating and cooling specialist such as Abel Onsite can advise you on this topic.
These are just a quick tips to think about. Hopefully they will help you easily save money each month on your power bill.
| For more energy saving tips visit Abel Onsite or call 952.446.9545 today . Article independently authored by Eric Parish. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Abel Onsite. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog. |
