WINTERIZATION TIPS

SAVE MONEY FROM RISING ENERGY COSTS THIS SEASON!

HEATING

Winter is upon us and that means Tis’ the Season to crank up that thermostat. Unfortunately the ‘news’ has been suggesting in the past month that your heating and energy bills may cost even more than usual this coming 2016/2017 winter season.  According to the EIA, the Energy Information Administration, Americans will pay roughly 15% more for heating expenses than last year.  It is a good time to review the steps you truly should take to winterize your home which can also help save money from the coming rising energy costs!

INSTALL THOSE VENT COVERS

Don’t forget it can be very cost effective to install Vent Covers on the exterior of the property around the foundation vents! It is worth the time spent on this small project.

DODGE THE DOOR DRAFTS

Cold air can rush in from under your doors while warm air can be sucked out as well, depending on the winds outside and your home environment.  Drafts can waste 5 to 30% of energy use per year, according to the US Department of Energy. This is not something to ignore and easily remedied!  The “draft snake” adopted during the Great Depression is a novel idea and an extremely easy way to cut back on your home energy waste. You can easily make your own draft snake by rolling up a towel or filling up a pouch of fabric (perhaps a zippered pillow case) with Kitty Litter or sand, advises The Daily Green.  They can of course be purchased as well.

MAINTAIN AND SERVICE YOUR HEATING SYSTEM

For furnaces, be sure to check and change your furnace filter regularly or as needed.  This may be only once or perhaps twice per year. Be sure to check as winter approaches every year! For wood or pellet burning stoves, make sure to clean the flue vent regularly.  When necessary, be sure to clean the inside of the appliance with a wire brush to scrape off debris and build up, ensuring that your home is heating efficiently.

OPEN CURTAINS DURING DAYTIME

Open your curtains and blinds during bright sunny days to allow the natural heat from sunlight to warm your home.  At night, be sure to close them well by dusk to keep the night chills and drafts at bay.

ADJUST THERMOSTAT APPROPRIATELY

Adjust your thermostat to 55 during the day when you are gone.  Drop the thermostat back down by 5 to 15 degrees again at bedtime.  Invest in a very warm blanket as well! (Link to warm blanket for sale goes here. Possibly local? Or just a good inexpensive blanket from major corp)

REVERSE CEILING FANS

Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans to push the warm air downward (blades should be turning clockwise when you look up at the fan).  This is worth the time and effort, it helps.

REPLACE OLD WINDOWS OR JUST “BUBBLE WRAP”

If you have very old and obviously non-energy efficient windows, replacing them is of course ideal, but not always practical right away. Save up and replace a few each year. In the meantime, buy some large sized bubblewrap and tape it on the inside of your windows which will trap all that cold air rushing in.  Yes, it may not be that attractive for a few months, but you will still have light, and you will save yourself some money in heating until you can get those windows replaced.

REDUCE HEAT LOSS FROM THE FIREPLACE

Make sure the damper is closed unless you are burning a fire!  Warm air rises as we all know, and a lot of heat can escape from your home up the chimney. In addition, if you NEVER use your fireplace, be sure to seal/plug the chimney flue.  Possibly consider installing tempered glass doors and a heat exchange system which will allow you to blow the warm air throughout the entire home.

HOLIDAY LIGHTING – LOWER YOUR COSTS

Invest in the newer LED holiday lights which use less energy than the traditional lights.

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*** So Many ways to save during the bitter cold months! Do your due diligence. Keep those energy costs down and save up for another home project OR share the savings with family and friends all winter long!

WE HERE AT MONTGOMERY REMODELING AND RESTORATIONS WISH YOU A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY (AND WINTER) SEASON!