Trying to cut energy cost in your home during the winter months can be a bit of a challenge on your wallet. No one likes to pay high energy bills. Today’s blog will give some simple suggestions to help you make some changes in your energy use so that you can keep more of your hard earned money in your own pocket!
Sunshine
Open your drapes or blinds after the sun has come up to let it naturally warm your room. Close them as the sun goes down to help insulate the room after dark.
Turn down the thermostat
Did you know that for every degree you lower your heat in the 60 to 70 degree range you save 5% of your heating cost? Turn that thermostat to 68 degrees and start saving!
Clean/Replace those air filters
When your air filter is dirty, air flow is restricted, causing an increase in energy use, which equals higher electric bills. Not to mention the strain that it is placing on your unit when it’s dirty!
Fireplace
When you are not using the fireplace, close the damper. When the damper is open, the heated air from your heating system is being pulled out of your home up through your chimney, causing you to lose up to 8% of your heating system’s air. Just don’t forget to open it before you light up your fireplace!
Wasted Energy
Turn off all lights in any unoccupied rooms and unplug any appliances that you are not using. That extra refrigerator you have for storing cold drinks can add 10 to 25 percent to your electric bill.
Hot Water
Shorter showers can save hundreds of gallons of hot water for a family of four over a month’s time. Did you know that 2/3 of your water heating costs is from taking showers? By cutting your showers in half you can reduce your water heating costs by 33%. When doing laundry, try to wash mostly in cold water, as this will reduce your washer’s energy use by 75%. Consider wrapping your hot water tank with jacket insulation, and you can see a savings up to 10% on water heating costs.
Computers
Turn your computer off if you aren’t using it. Even in sleep mode it is still drawing a small amount of electricity.
I hope that you find some of these suggestions helpful in saving you money. As always, be sure to visit www.filtersfast.com for all of your air and water filtration needs.
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