10 Home Improvement Tips To Save Money and Energy This Winter
With another cold snap underway, it's a good time to review your home’s energy efficiency. Here are 10 more home improvements you can make this winter that will save you both money and energy:
Check your doors and windows seals. This will keep the cold air out of your house, which will keep your heater from working overtime. If necessary, you might consider adding or replacing weather stripping.
Add area rugs to your tile and wood floors. This creates an extra layer of insulation in your home and also makes it easier to walk around your home in bare feet during the winter time.
Install glass doors that close off your fireplace. This will not only keep cold air from coming down and through your house, but it will also prevent warm air from escaping through the chimney. Also, if you use your fireplace, make sure to close the flue when you’re finished.
Insulate your attic door. For instance, you can buy covers for your attic staircases or openings. This will actually help you reduce energy costs all year long.
Cover your windows. Even if you don’t have storm windows, you can create your own with a window insulation kit. And inside your house, consider using insulated drapes. Make sure you allow some airflow though, as cutting airflow off completely can cause moisture and ice buildup on windows.
Buy Insulated Garage Doors and Exterior Doors. Typically, the garage doors that come with most homes aren’t insulated. You can change that to save on energy costs.
Add insulation to your home throughout. This includes the attic as well as the crawl space, garage, and basement. Experts recommend that you add insulation if you haven’t done so in more than 20 years.
Reverse Ceiling fans. Some people may not be aware of this but you actually have the option of reversing your ceiling fans. Running them counterclockwise makes it cooler during the summer months but by spinning clockwise, they will circulate warm air back into the room.
Replace your furnace filters. Just like with anything else, dirty furnace filters will make it work less efficiently. Generally speaking, filters should be changed every month during the heating season.
Replace your outdated furnace altogether. If your furnace is older, you might consider purchasing a newer unit that is going to produce more heat with less energy. Just make sure that you get the right size for the space you have.
Not sure how your home ranks for energy efficiency? Give us a call and we'll come out for a professional audit.