Common Sense Money Saving Tips for the Winter
- Bundle up! You can keep the house a few degrees cooler by wearing warmer clothes inside. We suggest cozy blankets, slippers, and a sweatshirt.
- Many doors and windows go unused during the winter (patio and basement doors, spare room windows, etc), so consider covering them in plastic to prevent drafts. Window kits are sold at your local hardware/home supply stores for about $5 a window. Can't get to the store? Grab some old blankets and insulate.
- Turn the heat down when no one is home. Turning it down to 60-65 while you're away saves money and means you don't heat an empty house.
- After using the oven, leave the door open a crack to let heat warm your kitchen and the surrounding rooms.
- Use a space heater in the room you are using. This will take the nip out of the air without heating the rest of your home.
- Pick up some caulk or silicone from the hardware store and fill any cracks in doors and windows, and basement floors and walls. Heat escapes quickly through cracks and the small ones you see can add up!
- Close vents and doors to rooms not used regularly (spare guest rooms, patios, etc). Doing so can easily cut 100-200 square feet off your energy footprint and bill.
- Put weather stripping around windows and doors. You'd be surprised how the seals around your doors and windows can deteriorate over time.
- Cover the attic entry with old blankets, weather stripping, plastic, etc. Anything will help slow down the warm air from floating away through your roof.
And lastly, make sure your furnace is running as efficiently as it can be during the cold months. Call Self Heating & Cooling to schedule your maintenance today!