Our electricity and gas bills can spike during the winter due to the festive holiday season and cool air. Our heating systems and lights run more than usual during these colder and darker months.
You can save money on your utility bill this winter by implementing simple, smart energy-saving tips and tricks. Furthermore, saving energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions that cause air pollution and climate change, which also benefits the environment.
6 Energy Saving Tips for This Winter
Programmable Thermostat
Several newer thermostats come with apps that allow you to create multiple schedules, which is ideal for busy families. With those apps, you can also update your thermostat easily if you need to go off-schedule during busy times or adjust the temperature automatically when you leave the house. Get in touch with one of our certified professionals for
heat pump installation in Orlando, VA, to learn more.
Wear Layers Indoors
We need to rethink what our family wears inside the house to maximize the benefits of a heater.
Your kids can wear warm socks, a sweater, or a long-sleeved shirt indoors to keep warm. By doing so, warm air is trapped against the skin, and everyone is kept warm.
Orient Your Ceiling Fan in a New Direction
With a ceiling fan, you can redirect the warm air that rises to the ceiling around the room without using a heater. During the winter, the fan blades spin to draw air from the ceiling and then push it into the room’s corners. The warm air is then sent back to your sweater-clad family members, so you don’t have to raise the thermostat temperature as high.
The easiest way to remember when to change directions on your fans is to flip the switch when daylight savings time begins or ends.
Utilize the Sun’s Heat
During the day, open curtains on south-facing windows to let sunlight heat the home naturally, and close them at night to reduce the chill. Trees should be planted on the south-facing side of the home, especially near windows. When it is winter, they will let the light through the windows, and when it is summer, they will shade them.
Cover Windows
Over the cold winter months, cover window frames with a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet or tape clear plastic film. To reduce infiltration, ensure the plastic is tightly sealed to the frame. After weatherizing windows that feel drafty, install tight-fitting, insulating drapes or shades. Learn about other window treatments and coverings that can improve energy efficiency.
Reduce the Fireplace’s Heat Loss
Open the dampers in the bottom of the firebox or open the nearest window slightly, approximately 1 inch, while using the fireplace, and close the doors. The thermostat should be set at 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the fireplace is not being used, plug and cover the chimney flue with a seal. Examine the seal on the fireplace flue damper, and make sure it is as tight as possible. To draw cool air into your fireplace and return warm air to your room, purchase grates made from C-shaped steel tubes in Mesquite, TX.
Using less energy and utilizing it more efficiently is the first step to lowering your winter energy bills. Winter home energy-saving tips should start with actions that lower your usage but don’t disrupt your current lifestyle.
Make these suggestions fun for your family by finding ways to make them enjoyable. Each recommendation could be turned into a game, or the entire list could become a family project. Your success depends on everyone feeling like they are working together toward a common goal.
If you are looking for HVAC repair, water heater installation, and
heat pump service in Orlando, VA, trust Gomez AC. We have all the HVAC services any HVAC owner will need. Contact us today to hire the consumer’s choice award-winning HVAC company.
