5 Energy Saving Tips for Your Home

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Nov
20

Want to save money and cut energy costs? You can do just that by following these 5 simple energy saving tips

• Whether you are trying to keep a room warm in the winter or cool in summer, energy efficient windows can make a world of difference. Windows are basically big holes in the wall and can be one of the largest places you lose energy. Therefore, when you put in new windows try to find the best energy saving rated windows that you can afford and with the most dead air space in-between the panes of glass. For homes in the north, putting in double or triple panes windows is a great place to start.
• If you cannot replace the windows in your home, but still want to save energy, your local hardware store will help you find numerous kits that contain plastic sheets that can help insulate windows. Most of these kits are fairly priced and when the directions are followed, are fairly easy to install and can really help stop air lost in the cold winter months, with out the added cost of new windows making this a great  energy saving tip.   Installing heavy curtains is another great option for insulating windows.
• Gaps around exterior doors are another place your home can be wasting energy.  If you can see light coming in around a door, then you will also have cold air coming in. While looking for light around the door don’t forget to check the bottom of the door as well.  Again your local hardware store should have several different options of weather stripping to put up inside the door framing.  This will help stop the airflow and can make a huge difference in room temperature and energy savings. You can also get kits for sealing the bottom of the door or you can just put an old blanket down in front of the door, whatever it takes to stop the air from coming in.
• Another frequently overlooked energy saving tip is to seal the area around your dryer vents. When the weather starts to change put your hand close to where the hose leads to the outside and see if you can feel a difference in temperature, if you can feel a difference, then so can your thermostat. This can be an easily fix. Simply fill the space around the opening to stop the airflow. Depending on how your exterior vent is structured, you can fill the opening with insulation or Styrofoam filler and then replace the exterior cover.  This energy saving tip also works for heating and ac ducts as well as vent hood ducts.
• Solar panels are a great way to help the environment and to save money on energy costs as well.  While they are an investment upfront, in the long run, you can reduce energy costs by more than half! Even installing a solar powered water heater can reduce costs greatly! To find out more about solar panels, please fill out the form at the top of the page.