There are some very useful and effective ways to get your home ready for cooler weather. Even if you live in a warm place where winter weather doesn’t affect how you heat your home, these ideas can help you save money on the electricity needed to run heat pumps and air conditioners.
Do an energy audit
You can find out about an energy audit by calling your utility company. These checks can help you find the places in your home that waste the most energy and money so you can fix them and save money.
As part of this energy audit, your thermostat will be checked to see if it is the right type and if it can be programmed. A simple audit can be done with a lit incense stick that sends out a stream of smoke.
Holding it up to doors and windows as you walk through your house will help you find places where the air is getting in and costing you money in higher energy bills.
Close doors and windows
Close curtains and blinds at night. Make sure all the doors are shut and sealed. This keeps cold night air from coming in and changing the temperature inside your home.
Also, you can buy kits to insulate your windows at most of the big stores. These kits come with clear plastic that goes around the window frame and is tightened with a hair dryer.
This keeps the air that shouldn’t be there out and keeps the air at the right temperature inside.
Use Caulking to Reseal
Use caulking on the outside of the windows to seal them and keep air from getting in. There are also things like weather stripping that can do the same thing. The only problem is that they are harder to put in place and can break down faster than caulk.
When the temperature changes, the exterior caulk expands and contracts, making a better seal. Look for other ways that air from outside is getting into your home. Most exterior doors have a seal built into the threshold that keeps air out when the door is shut. But over time, these can get worn out and stop working.
Replace them when you need to get back the benefit they gave you when they were new.
Close off fireplaces that aren’t being used
If you don’t use your fireplace, make sure the damper is closed, and you have glass doors in front of the opening to keep air from coming down the chimney.
Chimneys work well when there is a nice crackling fire that helps heat a house, but they can also let colder air from outside come in.
Install insulation
Many attics don’t have enough insulation to help keep heat inside a house. Or make sure the cool air stays where it should. Checking how much insulation is in your attic can help you decide if you need more or not.
The best insulation is the kind that is blown in because it can be blown into places that are hard to fill with the pink fiberglass insulation.
If you follow these five tips, you could save hundreds of dollars a year on your heating and cooling bills. If you haven’t prepared your home for winter yet, do it today and start saving money.
