Cutting Your Heating Bill
Posted by Paige
As the cold weather is upon us, our heating bill tends to creep up. Many of you have been asking about how to conserve energy during the winter months. Below are some resources, but I’d also love for you to tag on. How do you conserve energy during the winter months?
The easiest place to lose heat is throw leaky doors, windows, fireplaces, wall outlets, attics, crawl spaces and basements basically any where your house "envelope" has been opened. Looking to these places to start is always a best idea.
- Check the weather striping on your doors and windows. Over time weather stripping can wear with use, replace as needed.
- Place foam gaskets behind wall outlets and light switches.
- Make sure attics and crawl spaces are well insulated–including the door leading to the interior of the house.
- Caulk leaky window sills.
Your thermostat is another obvious place to reduce your heating bill.
- Install a programmable thermostat–City residents can even get a rebate when they do.
- Turn your thermostat down at night when you’re snug in bed.
- Turn your thermostat down when no ones home.
- Use a space heater in your main room when the family’s around and turn the main thermostat down so you are only heating the room you are using.
Another major area is you water heater.
- Add a hot water heater insulation blanket around your water heater to keep its heat in.
- Keep your water heater at 120 degrees. Most families have their higher than they really need. This will save you dollars on your monthly bill.
- Make sure your hot water pipes are insulated coming out of the water heater and to the appliances and sinks around the house.
What else does your family do?
Below are more expert advise on winter-proofing your home:
I HAVE INSTALLED AERO-TECH’S ENERGY SAVING EVOLUTION BULB CFL’S; IN ALL OF MY FIXTURES THAT TAKE WATTAGES OF 40 TO 100 WATT INCANDESCENT BULBS. THEY LOOK AND FIT JUST LIKE AN INCANDESCENT BULB; BUT OFFER UP TO 75% SAVINGS IN ENERGY USAGE. SINCE DOING THIS, IT HAS CUST MY ELECTRIC BILL BY ALMOST 40%.
THIS SAVE ME MONEY TO USE TOWARDS MY NATURAL GAS BILL; WHICH IS GOING TO BE SENSATIONAL THIS MONTH. ( IT WAS -23DEGREES BELOW 0 LAST NIGHT AND THIS MORNING IN CHICAGO!)
I like to put plastic over the drafty windows in the winter. I also close off rooms and keep the vents closed in rooms I don’t regularly use.
SPARK! has been recently giving free workshops to the community. Some have been for homeowners and others have been for renters. Based on the positive reception from participants we are continuing the series. The next Homeowner Workshop is Feb 10 and the Renter Workshop is Feb 18th.
What is covered are the three major components to a home energy system:
The basics are covered and we provide lots of helpful tips and interactive learning.
Also, please come to the Charlottesville Community Design Center on the downtown mall to pick up a free Energy Savings Handbook for Virginia Residents. It is very good and helps you start off thinking like an energy auditor. Call me at 984-2232 or email gilchrist@cvilledesign.org for more info about local resources for saving energy.