| Most people wouldn't think of the end of the fall or | | | | Reduction of the use of heating system during the |
| early winter for home improvements, but making | | | | day will let you cut as much as 10% on your home |
| small home improvements can save you big on your | | | | energy consumption. Now that's being efficient! |
| home energy costs this winter. | | | | Openings - Openings around your doors, windows, |
| Let's look at some winter Home Improvement ideas: | | | | and joints will let cold air outside come in and the |
| The fireplace - Getting our fireplace ready will | | | | warm air from your home go out. Make sure that |
| certainly yield to better savings. Make sure that the | | | | these openings are sealed with either sealant or |
| dumper is tightly sealed when not using it. A small | | | | weatherstripping. It will help reduce the work of the |
| space would let the cold air rush in and send the | | | | heating system immensely. |
| warm air out. If you are using an electric heating | | | | The Thermostat - A programmable thermostat or a |
| system, an opening in the fireplace will mean a lot | | | | centralized heating system will let you save on |
| more work to maintain a warm, energy efficient | | | | heating costs. The programmable thermostat will let |
| home. | | | | you set your desired at a specific period of the day. |
| When you decide to use the fireplace, you can turn | | | | This is very useful if you are leaving your home or |
| down your heater. This will save you as much as 8% | | | | are going to sleep overnight. The centralized heating |
| on heating cost. | | | | system on the other hand will give you the ultimate |
| The furnace - The furnace will work extra effort if | | | | control of the temperature of every room. These 2 |
| the filter is full of dirt. This will equate to home | | | | will let you decide how warm any one room can be. |
| energy waste since the furnace will consume more | | | | One interesting thing to note is that a centigrade |
| power against the service it brings. To avoid this, | | | | lower on your heating system will let you save as |
| make sure that your filter is clean. The owner's | | | | much as 5% on your heating cost. |
| manual will tell you how to clean the filter. A clean | | | | Many people neglect to truly prepare their homes for |
| filter will let you breath clean air around your house. A | | | | the winter season, and as a result, they pay for it big |
| clean filter saves you 5% on heating cost. | | | | time in sky rocketed utility bills. Why? Because you |
| The duct - Small leaks in the duct will certainly result | | | | need to warm you home and that doesn't come |
| in lost heat so make sure that this is regularly | | | | cheap these days. This consumes the biggest portion |
| checked. Insulate the ducts by wrapping it with R-6 | | | | of our electric bill. Fortunately, there are measures |
| or higher fiberglass. Never use cloth-backed tapes. | | | | we can take to lower our utility bills during the winter |
| You can also wrap them with UL-approved metallic or | | | | season. |
| plastic tapes and mastic sealants. Note that leaking | | | | But for those who are conscious enough to notice, |
| ducts make your heating system work 30% more so | | | | winter means larger electric bills. Yes, it is true. Aside |
| make sure they are sealed and secured. | | | | from summer, winter is the season of the year |
| Solar heat - You don't need to have solar panels on | | | | where your electric bills skyrocket to digits that cost |
| your roof to use the sun as a source of heat. All you | | | | you financial burden. |
| have to do is use open your drapes during the day | | | | As you can see, there are many trouble spots in |
| to warn your room without using electricity. Just | | | | your home which require some attention during the |
| close them at night to keep the warn air inside. | | | | winter season. |