Photo Credits: Directenergy.com
I’m sure after this cold winter we have had this year and some of the heating bills that have arrived, I am sure some of you are already thinking about how to reduce and save energy. Energy inefficiencies in your home can really costly to you, but it doesn’t have to be that way, if you work towards optimizing some of these areas in your home, you’ll save money.
Attic insulation:
If you keep a consistently moderate & comfortable temperature in your home from top to bottom with proper insulation, it can make or break your home’s energy efficiency and avoid high spikes in your energy bills through both cold and hot seasons. Have an installer come out and give you a quote on changing or adding insulations where needed.
If you keep a consistently moderate & comfortable temperature in your home from top to bottom with proper insulation, it can make or break your home’s energy efficiency and avoid high spikes in your energy bills through both cold and hot seasons. Have an installer come out and give you a quote on changing or adding insulations where needed.
Avoid using hot water:
Choose to wash your clothes in cold rather than hot. Ninety percent of the energy used during these processes is used to heat the water while the remaining ten percent is used to run the machine. Using cool water saves a large amount of energy.
Choose to wash your clothes in cold rather than hot. Ninety percent of the energy used during these processes is used to heat the water while the remaining ten percent is used to run the machine. Using cool water saves a large amount of energy.
Cut back on water use:
Small changes in water use can create big changes. Saving water, reduces energy used by your hot water tank. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving. Wash full loads of laundry rather than half loads. Install a different water efficient shower head and choose showers over baths. Less water, less money.
Small changes in water use can create big changes. Saving water, reduces energy used by your hot water tank. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving. Wash full loads of laundry rather than half loads. Install a different water efficient shower head and choose showers over baths. Less water, less money.
Clean/replace filters:
Changing or cleaning your furnace & air conditioning filters every 30-60 days is an easy way to cut down on heating costs. Take the filter out and hold it up to the light to see if if the light shines through. If not, its time to clean them. Lights:
Replacing old bulbs with LED bulbs saves electricity year-round and choose to turn the lights off as your leaving your rooms. With daylight savings time and changes in seasonal weather,, maybe you need to change your lights that are on timers. Maybe the lights that come on in the driveway don’t need to turn on for another 2 or 3 hours in the summer versus winter months.
Changing or cleaning your furnace & air conditioning filters every 30-60 days is an easy way to cut down on heating costs. Take the filter out and hold it up to the light to see if if the light shines through. If not, its time to clean them. Lights:
Replacing old bulbs with LED bulbs saves electricity year-round and choose to turn the lights off as your leaving your rooms. With daylight savings time and changes in seasonal weather,, maybe you need to change your lights that are on timers. Maybe the lights that come on in the driveway don’t need to turn on for another 2 or 3 hours in the summer versus winter months.
Air Leaks:
Test for air leaks in your home. A good way to know is to burn incense and carefully move it around the perimeter of windows and doors. Where smoke wavers, cold air is entering your house and heat is escaping. Seal gaps with caulking or weather stripping. Air leaks can waste up to 30 percent of your energy use. To rid your doors of air drafts, by fixing your door, or try using a rolled towel or better yet, attach a door draft stopper. You can pick this up at any local home depot or hardware store.
Upgrade Thermostats:
Making the switch to a programmable of Wifi thermostats that gives you control over the temperature in your home when you’re not there, making it easy to reduce energy waste. Simply schedule a programmable thermostat once, and it will do the rest, keeping your home comfortable when it counts and more energy efficient during overnights and when the house is unoccupied. If you do not have a timer, then turn the heat down at night while you are sleeping, paying attention to not turning it right off. It takes more energy to kick the heater into gear, when it has been turned off for some time. Make changes to baseboard heating, which is very costly. Look into updating your home with heat pumps, H-vac, electrical or gas fireplaces. Anything that will help with energy costs.
Treat your windows right:
Curtains, drapes and blinds form a great defence against cold winter air. You can also use a shrink film window insulator for more protection, that is easy to install and will save energy in the winter.
Test for air leaks in your home. A good way to know is to burn incense and carefully move it around the perimeter of windows and doors. Where smoke wavers, cold air is entering your house and heat is escaping. Seal gaps with caulking or weather stripping. Air leaks can waste up to 30 percent of your energy use. To rid your doors of air drafts, by fixing your door, or try using a rolled towel or better yet, attach a door draft stopper. You can pick this up at any local home depot or hardware store.
Upgrade Thermostats:
Making the switch to a programmable of Wifi thermostats that gives you control over the temperature in your home when you’re not there, making it easy to reduce energy waste. Simply schedule a programmable thermostat once, and it will do the rest, keeping your home comfortable when it counts and more energy efficient during overnights and when the house is unoccupied. If you do not have a timer, then turn the heat down at night while you are sleeping, paying attention to not turning it right off. It takes more energy to kick the heater into gear, when it has been turned off for some time. Make changes to baseboard heating, which is very costly. Look into updating your home with heat pumps, H-vac, electrical or gas fireplaces. Anything that will help with energy costs.
Treat your windows right:
Curtains, drapes and blinds form a great defence against cold winter air. You can also use a shrink film window insulator for more protection, that is easy to install and will save energy in the winter.
Reverse your ceiling fan:
Don’t let the hot air you’re paying for just hang out above your head. Setting your ceiling fan to move slowly in a clockwise direction in the winter keeps hot air circulating and heats your home more efficiently.
Unplug:
Be sure to unplug any “vampire power” devices that suck power from your outlets when you’re not using them. DVD players, computers, coffee makers, toasters, video game or anything you happen to not need everyday. Even if your’e not using the appliance, they still consume energy. A useful tool for the homes, is a smart power strip to cut power automatically when they’re not in use.
Be sure to unplug any “vampire power” devices that suck power from your outlets when you’re not using them. DVD players, computers, coffee makers, toasters, video game or anything you happen to not need everyday. Even if your’e not using the appliance, they still consume energy. A useful tool for the homes, is a smart power strip to cut power automatically when they’re not in use.
Water heater:
When it’s cold outside you put an insulating coat on your hot water tank to keep warm. Insulating your water heater can save you up to 16 percent in water heating costs annually.
When it’s cold outside you put an insulating coat on your hot water tank to keep warm. Insulating your water heater can save you up to 16 percent in water heating costs annually.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in these posts are for general purposes only. It is not written nor intended to provide legal advice or opinions of any kind. No one should act upon, refrain from acting, based solely upon the materials provided & recorded, or through any hypertext links and other general information, without first seeking appropriate legal and/or other professional advice.