It makes no difference whether you are renting the home you are living in or if you own it, there are some things you can to help reduce your energy expenses while making it more comfortable to live in. It is possible to save from ten to fifty percent on the cost of energy if you just use a few winterizing techniques.
The best part about it is that there is no need to do everything all at once. Tackling one room at a time will have you spending your winter months in warm and toasty surroundings even when the weather outside is frightful. Every step you take will cut energy costs and provide you and your family with the comfort they deserve.
The first and most important step is to have your heating service contractor do full heater maintenance prior to winter setting in. Professional HVAC service companies understand how crucial it is to keep well maintained heating systems because they get emergency calls every winter from people who failed to do this properly. They also know that sometimes new heater installation is the only way to ensure the system will not break down at the most inconvenient moment.
When performing some DIY projects around the home to help cut down on home energy costs during the winter, the place to start is with an energy audit. Check around doors, windows, switch plates, ceilings, walls and floors to see if there is any seepage of air. Some communities even offer free energy audits and other services to help reduce the costs related to adding insulation and having professional sealing done for you. There may even be some free services offered by your Energy Company or state.
If you do the work yourself, be sure to caulk and add weather stripping or insulation where needed. It’s easy to forget about the attic, but that would be a big mistake since this is typically where a lot of energy loss through heat finds a way of escape. Insulation often settles here leaving it less effective. This is also the place where rodents and other intruders can wreck havoc with your home’s energy efficiency by moving insulation around and chewing holes in the walls to gain entry.
Some other steps you can take to ensure you are getting the most from your energy dollars are to close the flues on woodstoves and chimneys when you’re not using them. Keep the floors you walk on most warm by adding area rugs as a layer of insulation over the basement. There are lots of other things you can do to keep you and the family warmer during winter. Hopefully the ones mentioned will help you think of them.