1)  Check with your local utility company to see if they offer a free energy use assessment.  Some companies provide inspectors to poke around your home from top to bottom, looking for ways it can be made more efficient.

 2)  Install a programmable thermostat.  Have your thermostat drop down a few degrees while you’re away at work.

 3)  Keep your thermostat at 68 or below.  Put on a sweatshirt if you have to.

 4)  Open blinds during the winter.  This allows the heat from the sun to come in and warm up your house. Close blinds or curtains at night.

 5)  Change filters every month.  Dirty filters can increase your bills by 20% each month. 

 6)  Don’t block vents or radiators with furniture or window coverings.

 7)  Make sure your fireplace damper fits properly and close it when not in use.  Install a glass door fireplace screen.

 8)  Put caulking and weather strips around doors and windows.  Put plastic sheeting around older windows or windows that have a draft.

 9)  Consider replacing some things in your home that are not energy efficient.  Homeowners have until the end of 2007 to take advantage of a one time $500 energy conservation tax credit.  Check out the IRS website for more information. 

10)  Close the vents and the door to unused rooms. 

11)  Remove window air conditioner units during the winter.  These let a lot of cold air into your home.

12)  Seal your heating and cooling ducts.  Click here for more info.

13)  Consider taking on bigger projects such as adding insulation in areas where it is missing.  Many homes are lacking sufficient insulation in their attics.

14)  Get a tune-up for your furnace to make sure it is working properly and not using more energy.

Check out these federal tax credits for energy efficiency.

Can you help add to this list?  What ways help you save on your winter utilities?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Anyone is free to join in and try this.  You can view the rules, join a support group, and review FAQ.  For more information, go on over to Frugal for Life.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1.  Keep your blinds closed as much as possible.  Opening the blinds allows the heat of the sun to come right into your house.  I leave my blinds closed while I’m gone and then open a few blinds later in the day.  I tilt the blinds upward to allow me to see outside and get a litttle natural light, but not heat up my house.

2.  Change your air filter every month.  Dirty filters make your air conditioner work extra hard and can increase your bill 20%.

3.  Bump up the thermostat 2-3 degrees. 

4.  Get a thermostat with a timer.  If you’re gone from 8-5, then have your thermostat go up a few degrees while you’re gone during the day and have it come back down shortly before you get home.

5.  If you’re going on vacation or going to be out of town for a few days, turn the thermostat up.  You don’t need to keep your house on 72 while you’re out of town. 

6.  Use ceiling fans to circulate air.  Ceiling fans can make your rooms seem much cooler. 

7.  Plant trees or shrubs around your a/c unit to protect it from the sun (but not blocking the air flow).  A unit out of the sun can use up to 10% less electricity.  Also, clear away any leaves or debris that may clog your unit.

8.   Don’t place lamps, tvs, or other electrical equipment near your thermostat.  They let off heat and make your thermostat think it’s hotter than it is.

9.  Don’t cool unused rooms.

10. Caulk windows and door frames and use weather stripping.

These are just a few ways to save money on your electric bill.  What ways can you save?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1.  Open blinds during the winter.  This allows the heat from the sun to come in and warm up your house. Close blinds or curtains at night.

2.  Change filters every month.  Dirty filters can increase your bills by 20% each month.  Ouch!  Also, get a “tune up” for your furnace.  You will save money if it is working properly.

3.  Try to keep your furnace on 68 degrees.

4.  Make sure your fireplace damper fits properly and close it when not in use.  Leaving a damper open can suck a lot of heat out of your home.  Install a glass door fireplace screen.

5.  Put caulking and weather strips around doors and windows.  Put plastic sheeting around older windows or windows that have a draft.

6.  If you’re going away for a few days, turn your thermostat down to about 55 degrees. 

7.  Put your thermostat on a timer.  Have the temperature drop 2-3 degrees while you’re gone to work and set it to warm back up before you arrive at home.

8.  Consider replacing some things in your home that are not energy efficient.  Homeowners have until the end of 2007 to take advantage of a one time $500 energy conservation tax credit.  Check out the IRS website for more information. 

9.  Close the vents and the door to unused rooms.  We quit heating and cooling our basement.  It’s a bit chilly down there, but we’re not in the basement for very long anyway.

10.  If possible, remove window air conditioner units during the winter.  These let a lot of cold air into your home.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy