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Winter and cold temperatures are right around the corner. Severe weather–extreme
cold in the winter and extreme heat in the summer–leads to increased
electric usage and higher monthly bills. Use the information below
to prepare your home for winter weather.
Prepare Your Home for Winter Weather
 Caulking, weather stripping and air sealing
Hidden air leaks can be huge energy drains in the home. Some common sites
for air leakage include duct systems, fireplace dampers, attic
access hatches, baseboards, windows and doors. Check for air leakage in
these common sites and seal if necessary. Weather strip along the door perimeter
and install a quality door sweep on the bottom of the door. Seal all leaks
in the duct system with a quality “mastic” sealant.
Insulation
Insulation standards recommend R-30 insulation in ceilings. If your home
has little or no ceiling insulation, considering adding some.
Windows
One-third of a home’s total heat is lost through windows and doors.
To minimize the leakage, seal window or, if the windows are old
and leaky, consider purchasing new energy-efficient windows. An easy and
inexpensive way to seal a window is to use plastic window film–kits
are available at home improvement stores. All window edges and cracks should
be sealed with caulk.
Heating System Tips
Check the filter monthly and change when necessary. Clean
filters allow the system to operate more efficiently.
Make sure your fireplace damper is closed when not using the fireplace.
Limit use of portable or space heaters. A typical 1500 watt space heater,
operated for 8 hours per day, will cost almost $40 in energy during a typical
30-day billing cycle. Considering that a 1500 watt heater will heat only
a medium-size room, using space heaters is an expensive way to heat a home.
Take advantage of natural heat–open window drapes and blinds on sunny
days to provide a bit of natural light and heat. Close them at
night to retain the heat.
Tips for homes with heat pumps
Regarding your heat pump,
set it and forget it! Keep your thermostat set at the lowest comfortable
level. The recommended temperate is 68-72 degrees in the winter.
NOTE: Heat pumps operate much differently than most other heating
systems. Be sure to follow the correct tips for your heating system–following
the wrong set of tips can be costly.
Tips for homes with heating systems other than heat pumps
Set the thermostat at 68-72 degrees during the day and
60-65 degrees at night. Setting the thermostat back 10 degrees at night
can lead to significant energy savings. Also, consider lowering the thermostat
when your home in not occupied.
Turn Down the Water Heater
Set your water heater to 120 degrees. Most water heaters
are set by the manufacturer at 140 degrees. Most households operate comfortably
at 120 degrees, saving money on heating costs and protecting your family
by reducing the risk of hot water scalding.
Lighting…Consider CFLs
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) use a fraction of the
energy of traditional incandescent light bulbs and last up to ten
times as long. CFLs are available in home improvement stores in
the lighting section. Replacing a traditional light
bulb with a CFL will save $36 in energy costs over the life of
the lamp.
For more information about conserving energy, visit the State
Energy Office website.
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