Winter is quickly approaching and with all the snow, ice and cooler weather come higher heating and electric bills. While there is nothing you can do to stop the onslaught on winter, there are some things you can do to keep your bills lower and more money in your pocket. Winterizing your home will help you conserve energy, lower your utility bills and help lessen the environmental impact of keeping your home warm and cozy when temperatures outside are cold and frosty.
Make sure all your windows and doors have tight fitting seals. To test their seals, simply light a candle and place it in the window sash or the in front of the door. If the candle flame dances and moves or blows completely out, you know you have leaks in your seals. Heat can escape through these leaky seals and end up driving your heating bill sky high. Once you have found the leaks, an inexpensive tube of caulking can help you seal them off and keep the heat inside where you want and need it. Be sure you plug up empty electrical outlets, too. Just as heat escapes through seals, it can escape through electrical outlets. Pick up a few outlet covers at your local home improvement store and plug up the leaks and keep the heat in.
Another simple way to save money is to cover your windows with plastic sheeting insulation. These easy to use kits are available in hardware and hoe improvement centers and can drastically reduce heat loss through windows. Simply cut the sheeting to size, tack the sheeting around your window frame and use a hair dryer to heat the plastic so it shrink wraps the window frame. This air tight seal will help keep even older homes air tight and warm during winter’s harshest freeze.
Of course, no home’s winterization would be complete without a professional HVAC service call. A heating service professional can give your system a thorough check up to make sure everything is running optimally and provides you with clean, consistent heat. Regular heater maintenance can help keep your system running longer and prevent costly repairs or replacement. If your system is not energy efficient or needs repairs that are cost prohibitive, a professional HVAC service can help you with new heater installation. Professional HVAC technicians can help you choose the correct heater model, size and features for your home and budget and increase your home’s energy efficiency saving you money in the long run.
Winter is coming. Be prepared by winterizing your home and taking these simple steps to increase your home’s efficiency and decrease your utility bills. When you see how much money these easy tips can save you, you will understand why starting the winterizing process early is the smart way to go. Do not wait until winter’s chill has set in, start winterizing today and save money all season long.
