Winter Home Energy Conservation Tips

Holiday spending has us all tightening our belts a little and looking for ways to be more efficient and save some money.

Holiday spending has us all tightening our belts a little and looking for ways to be more efficient and save some money.  Home energy improvements and home energy conservation are a great way to not only save on your monthly utilities, but make your home comfortable and even add value to your property.  Now is the time to make some winter home energy efficiency improvements so that you can start seeing the benefits on your utility bills as soon as possible and keep comfortable and warm throughout the season.

The first energy efficiency improvement that a great majority of homes could benefit frmo is reducing drafts.  Windows and doors are notorious for being drafty because of worn weather stripping or a deteriorating seal.  This may seem so small that you would rather focus on bigger things but, in fact, making this small change can have a significant impact because you do not realize how much heated air is being wasted as it slowly leaks out of your home.  And, you do not realize how much more you have to heat your home because cold air is creeping inside.  Luckily, fixing this problem is relatively easy and inexpensive.  A qualified handyman would be able to quickly come and determine what needs to be replaced, remove the old weather stripping, replace it and seal any other leaks so that your windows and doors stay energy efficient throughout all seasons.

Next, it is important to make sure you have proper insulation in your attic.  A lot of heated air that you are paying for escapes through your ceiling and cold air makes its way in as well because your attic is not properly insulated.  Even if, at one time, your attic was properly insulated it may have deteriorated over time.  Hire a handyman to come and check out your attic and determine how much more insulation you might need.  By having your handyman add insulation your home will quickly feel more comfortable and you will see a difference on not just your heating but cooling bill as well.

Another improvement that will have an impact in the winter, as well as all seasons, is installing updated smart thermostats.  Smart programmable thermostats can easily be programmed according to your schedule so that you are not wasting energy heating your home when you are not there.  Program it to start heating again 30 minutes before you get home and you will feel comfortable without wastefully heating your home while you are away.  Additionally, smart thermostats learn your habits and make energy efficient adjustments to keep your home properly heated or cooled while maximizing efficiency without you ever having to push a button.  And, one benefit of smart thermostats that anyone with a smart phone or computer will love is that many have the option to make adjustments even when you are not home so you have complete control over your living environment even when you are away from home.

One last thing that many people forget about is their ductwork.  Air ducts develop leaks over time for one reason or another and the average homeowner would never really notice.  But, their HVAC system has to work much harder because of the inefficiency.  The EPA describes why it is so important to have your air ducts inspected and leaks repaired, “To ensure that as much warm air as possible is delivered through your central system, check the ductwork and wrap any leaks with duct mastic. Distribution losses (what’s lost while air is transported from your furnace through ductwork to the vents) often amounts to 30%. So, sealing ductwork could increase efficiency and the warm air you receive considerably … keeping you warmer and making your furnace work less.”   Have a qualified handyman inspect your ductwork for leaks and, if any are found, have them repaired to improve your HVAC’s efficiency.  By making these small improvements you will maximize your home’s overall winter energy efficiency.