Six Energy-Saving Tips to Keep You Warm This Winter
As the temperatures drop, the urge to turn up the heat becomes harder to resist. With these simple energy-saving tips, though, you can keep yourself comfortable this winter without blowing up your utility bill.
Have Your Furnace Serviced Regularly
A furnace that has had routine maintenance performed will run more efficiently, deliver better overall performance, and lessen your energy usage.
Clean Air Ducts
The air ducts in your home may have substantial dirt and allergen build-up. By having your ducts inspected and cleaned, you not only ensure that your furnace is performing optimally, you can help prevent some common breathing problems.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats are an affordable way to reduce energy usage. By allowing you to program specific times for the heat to switch on or off, you can focus energy output to the times when your home is occupied or people are awake.
Close Vents to Rarely Used Spaces
If there ‘s a guest room or other type of room that’s rarely used, close off the vents to that room and keep the doors shut. Heat will then be distributed to the most commonly used rooms. Avoid doing this to more than one or two rooms, however, since this strategy can result in unwanted pressure imbalances in your rooms and ducts. Partially closing vents to certain rooms may be a better way to save energy without negatively impacting airflow.
Seal Windows with Plastic
One of the lesser-known energy-saving tips for homes is to buy window sealing plastic. Available at most home improvement stores, these kits help you seal windows from the inside so you can stop drafting from the outside and seal in the heat.
Hang Thermal Curtains
Thermal curtains can help contain the heat in your house and prevent drafts from coming in. In addition to saving on energy, they can darken a room so that you can sleep more comfortably.
At Sobieski Services, our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems). By utilizing these energy-saving tips, you can enjoy all that winter has to offer without sacrificing your comfort or your money. Contact us for more information.
Photo Credit: kevin dooley via Compfight cc