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Save Money on Your Home Energy
Costs this Winter
by Deborah Taylor-Hough
Approximately 40% of
winter home energy bills involves heating. Here are some simple tips
for cutting back on your home energy costs this winter:
Heating
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Change furnace air
filters regularly (once a month or according to manufacturer's
recommendations).
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Schedule a
cleaning/maintenance call each year for your furnace.
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Install a
programmable thermostat.
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Turn down the heat
one degree during the day. Lower the heat by ten degrees at night.
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Make sure your
furniture and carpets don't cover or block vents or air ducts.
Insulating
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Add weather-stripping
around doors and windows.
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Install thermo-pane
windows in your home.
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Insulate your top
floor ceilings and attic.
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Replace window
screens with storm windows.
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Close the damper on
the chimney flue when not in use.
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Cover your windows
with insulated blinds or curtains. Or make window quilts for the
winter months.
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Insulate yourself!
Wear a sweater and insulated slippers in the house. Buy a down
comforter for your bed.
Lighting:
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Use compact
florescent lights, especially in outside lighting like porch lights
that are left on for long periods of time.
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Use photo-cells or
motion sensors for outdoor lights.
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Open drapes when the
sun is shining in your windows (helps to provide both light and
passive heat), and be sure to remember to close the drapes at night
to keep the heat in.
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Turn off lights when
you leave a room.
Appliances
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Insulate your older
water heater.
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General rule of
thumb: If you aren't using it, turn it off!
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Unplug electronics
and electric appliances when not in use (battery chargers, hair
appliances, computers).
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Use a power strip as
a central turn off point for electronics, videos games, and
computers when not in use..
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Use the right size
pot on the stovetop.
Cleaning
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Always run full loads
of both laundry and dishes.
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If you have a newer
model dishwasher, don't rinse dishes prior to putting them in the
dishwasher.
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Install an energy
efficient showerhead which will not only save on water usage, but
also save money on water heating.
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Wash clothes in cold
water whenever possible. Hot water heating uses 90% of the
electricity used to run your washing machine.
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Use the correct water
level when washing clothes.
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Don't over-dry your
clothes. Hang to dry -- or to finish drying -- whenever possible.
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Empty your lint trap
before each load.
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About the author
Deborah Taylor-Hough is
the author of the bestselling Frozen Assets series, Frugal Living For
Dummies(r), Mix-and-Match Recipes, and A Simple Choice: A Practical
Guide for Saving Your Time, Money and Sanity. Editor of Simple Times,
Solo Parents, and Bright-Kids e-zines
http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com
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