We are all pleased that oil prices have gone down a little bit......but I have been looking around my own home to see just where I can save a little on my electric and heating bills.
Here are a few thoughts my husband and I came up with:
- replacing the air filter in your furnace frequently not only keeps your furnace working efficiently, but will also cut down on the dust blowing through the air vents
- insulating the heating ducts keeps the air warm and will cut down on leaks while air is transferred from the ducts in to the rooms of your home
- are your air vents or baseboards blocked by furniture or curtains? Keeping heating vents exposed will help the warm air circulate through the house
- how old is your furnace? how old is your hot water heater? Our hot water heater was more than 15 years old. There have been such energy efficient changes in these products it is a good idea to see if you can get one or both replaced and START SAVING MONEY and the ENVIRONMENT!
- I find myself sounding very much like my parents when I say, if you are chilly, PUT ON A SWEATER! I remember growing up in Claremont, NH, my father would keep the thermostat on 62 degrees. He'd always remind us that when it's 62 outside we all run around in shorts and t-shirts. So set that thermostat to a lower temp.....and put on a sweater if you are chilly! Who knew Dad was so smart.
- Solar gain........Mark and I cut down a couple of trees that were blocking the sun coming in to our living room. We have achieved some wonderful solar gain. The house stays very warm during the day....not to mention we got a cord or two of wood to burn over the winter. We replaced the trees with some nice, but shorter, shrubs.
- Weather stripping.......of course we can all check the weather stripping around our doors and windows.....re-caulking can be done if necessary. Check out your local hardware store for those window insulation kits.
These are just a few things everyone can do. How many more can you think of?
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