With winters approaching, increased electricity bills start worrying many of us. However, it is not at all necessary that in winters one has to pay outsized heating bills. By making your home energy efficient, you can bring down your electricity consumption and bills down considerably. Here are 10 ideas that can help you reduce your heating bill this winter dramatically.
Use a programmable thermostat
It’s a new age, so you got to be using state-of-the-art appliances. The new age thermostats for example are designed to enhance a home’s energy efficiency. The programmed thermostats learn your family’s habits and accordingly they automatically keep the house warm and cool. They are unlike their traditional versions, which used to waste electricity by running unnecessarily on a mode not required.
Replace worn out weatherstripping
Weatherstripping around windows and doors prevents heat from escaping. A worn out weatherstripping creates drafts in between that allow air to escape and to enter. Therefore, if you see light around the edges of your door and windows, you should understand that it requires new weatherstripping. It costs less and saves quite a lot on electricity bills.
Replace older appliances
Electrical appliances with time and usage lose their energy efficiency. If you have been usingsome older appliances, replace them right away with new energy efficient models. While shopping, look for appliances that come with labels reading “Energy Star Certified”. They might be a bit expensive than the non certified appliances but purchasing them is a big step towards making your home energy efficient.
Fill gaps around electrical boxes
This might seem to you a small and a meaningless process but it actually helps increasing a home’s energy efficiency. Remove the cover plate and fill gaps with acrylic latex caulk. This will stop the leaks and you will get a chance to save money.
Use a plastic film
Windows alone account for approximately 25% of heat loss in homes, in addition the heat loss caused by doors in homes. One of the cheapest yet extremely effective ways is to cover windows and doors by a transparent plastic film.
Change furnace filters
You need to pay attention to the filter of your furnace. A dirty furnace filter results in increased electricity usage for it makes the furnace work harder. You must change the filter monthly in every heating season to realize what difference it makes to your electricity consumption.
Say no to incandescent lights
If even now you are using incandescent light bulbs at your home, you should at once get rid of them. They literally are the power hogs. You should buy compact fluorescent bulbs that you might find expensive initially but they lead to significant savings in the long run.
Repair door thresholds
You pay to have warm air inside your home in those chilly winter days. However, gaps under the doors let the warm air pass out and the cold air come in. You should adjust a door height in a way that it doesn’t let the air escape and doesn’t interfere with the functioning of the door as well.
A water heater cover
Water heaters lose heat quickly, demanding you to heat them time and again in winters. To prevent this electricity wastage from happening in your home, you should buy a water heater blanket. It is a cover that doesn’t let a water heater lose heat that quickly. You can get it at any hardware store near you.
Inflatable chimney balloon
Despite the closed chimney flue, chimneys at homes do let the warm air escape when they aren’t in use. Inflatable chimney balloons are ideal solutions that block the airflow that takes place via chimneys.
Making a home energy efficient is a good practice. It is not just good from the environmental point of view but is beneficial for your pocket and utility bill as well.
