The cold weather is upon us and no matter how much we try and prepare for the cold weather, it often surprises us just how cold it becomes. When it’s frigid outside, you want to walk into your home and warm up instantly. Here are a few ways to keep your home warm and your energy bills low this winter.
Stay Warm
Seal Your Doors & Windows: if you have any gaps between siding and window or door frames that are larger than a nickel, then you’ll need to seal them off. You can use a silicone caulk to help prevent the cold air from entering and the warm air from escaping.- Fireplace: first of all, make sure that you have had your fireplace cleaned to prevent the possibility of a chimney fire. Once that is done you can light up a fire to help keep your home warm.
- Ceiling Fans: generally ceiling fans are thought to cool the room. But, did you know that you can change the direction of the blades to help circulate hot air. It will push the air downward along the walls and heat the room evenly.
- Area Rugs: typically used as a design accent in the room, area rugs serve a much greater purpose in the winter months. They help add another layer of insulation to your home.
- Get a Humidifier: moist air helps keep the air feel warmer and holds heat better. In the winter, the air within your home tends to be very dry. This way, if you add a humidifier and can increase the humidity in your home then you can help keep it warmer.
- Limit Exhaust Fans: these may not seem like an obvious opportunity to conserve heat and energy. But, exhaust fans in the kitchen and the bathroom bring warm air from inside the home and push it outside. Use them only when necessary and then shut them off as soon as you’re done with them.
Save Energy
- Keep Your Furnace Clean- by keeping your furnace and your vents properly maintained then you will be able to better conserve energy in the winter months.
- Consider converting from oil to natural gas or electric heat - Oil heat can be an expensive way to warm your home in the winter. In general, oil furnaces are less efficient, can be noisy and are only used for part of the year when the weather is cold.
- Keep Your Thermostat In Check - keeping your home at 75 degrees is definitely appealing in the winter time. However, unless you want your energy bill to be extremely high then it is recommended to keep your home at a lower temperature. If you’re able to withstand 68 degrees in the winter time, you can save up to 6.2% on your energy bill.
- Use the Sun - even though sunlight is limited in the winter, it doesn’t mean that you can’t leverage it to help warm your home. If you open up the curtains during the day and close them when the sun goes down, then you’re adding some natural heat to your home. Plus this means that you can keep your thermostat lower and save on your energy bills all winter long (or at least while the sun is shining).
- Lower Your Water Heater - after consulting the owner’s manual for your dishwasher and other appliances that use your hot water, set your water heater to a setting of 120 degrees Fahrenheit can help you save from 7-11 percent on water heating costs according to the Consumer Energy Center.
Being prepared for the colder weather can help prevent any problems that may arise during the winter months. Hopefully these tips will give you a good start to saving on your energy bill and keeping your home warm this winter.
