Free Home Energy Saving Tips

January 16, 2009March 10, 2024

Insulating your heating ducts

Cost: $8 and up Estimated Effort: 10 minutes Approximate Savings: 10% or more If your furnace is located in an unheated area like an unfinished basement, you might already have guessed that a lot of heat can potentially be lost in the ducts themselves. Between the furnace itself and the vents, even with no holes […]

2 mins read

January 16, 2009March 10, 2024

Installing a smart, setback, or programmable thermostat

Cost: $60 – $200 Estimated Effort: 30 minutes Approximate Savings: 10% – 15% or more Installing a “smart” thermostat is not hard at all, and typically takes less than 30 minutes to accomplish, even for novice users. When buying your new thermostat, just remember – you get what you pay for. If you want more […]

5 mins read

Cooling

January 16, 2009March 10, 2024

Keep window air conditioners in top shape in the on and off seasons

Perhaps you have a few window air conditioner units for a few rooms of your house, rather than having central air. That’s fine. In fact, it is much cheaper to operate if you stay in a couple of rooms most of the time. Make sure they are working properly and efficiently. Most of them today […]

1 min read

Cooling

January 16, 2009March 10, 2024

Delay activities that generate heat when using the A/C

Wait until night or evening (or on a cool day) to do chores or activities that generate heat. Any additional heat you generate will just make the A/C work harder and longer. Such activities include: Baking or using the oven Washing Dishes / Running Dishwasher Laundry

1 min read

Heating

January 16, 2009March 10, 2024

Change your furnace filter once every 30 days when being used

The filter takes out a lot of dander, hair, pollen, etc from the air as it is fed into the furnace. If the filter is dirty, less air is fed into the heating system, which means…yep, you guessed it. The furnace has to work harder by staying on longer to heat the available air. And […]

1 min read

January 16, 2009March 10, 2024

Make sure the thermostat is protected from a heating / cooling source

Basically, make sure the thermostat location isn’t too hot, or too drafty. The thermostat measures the temperature and locating it in either location can throw off the reading. The effects can be disastrous for your utility bill. The area might be warm, so the thermostat will be tricked into thinking the heat has done its […]

1 min read

Do It Yourself Projects

January 16, 2009March 10, 2024

Winter window insulation tips

The easy answer to a drafty or old window that no longer insulates well is to “cover it in plastic.” And that still is probably the best possible answer for most situations. Most situations? Yup. I said most situations for a reason. Here’s why. You need to know how the window is losing your home’s […]

4 mins read

January 16, 2009March 10, 2024

Winter door insulation tips

The most common complaint in the cold winter months about older doors is they are drafty, or don’t insulate well anymore.Â In fact, a door is usually one of the first places you tend to notice energy issues. The reason is because it is opened and closed and used so often. Add to this the […]

3 mins read

January 15, 2009March 10, 2024

Fixing a heat register under a window

One of the most challenging problems for homeowners is with the placement of a heat register, radiator or other heat source under or near a window. The problem is compounded with every degree the temperature plummets outside. Understanding the problem To figure out how to fix the problems, we have to understand what is going […]

5 mins read

Home Energy Tips

January 14, 2009March 10, 2024

Changing homes? Change your energy habits!

Here’s a sad fact: when many Americans move or change homes, they often expect a change in their energy bills. Most of the time, they expect that moving into a better home means their energy bills would decrease by an incredible margin. This is simply not the case. In fact, many people’s high energy bills […]

2 mins read

Save Money on Energy Costs with Energy Star

6 Ways to Quickly Spot an Energy Efficient New House

5 Important Downsides to Lowering Thermostats in Winter to Consider

6 Ways to Quickly Spot an Energy Efficient New House

5 Important Downsides to Lowering Thermostats in Winter to Consider

Insulating your heating ducts

Installing a smart, setback, or programmable thermostat

Keep window air conditioners in top shape in the on and off seasons

Delay activities that generate heat when using the A/C

Change your furnace filter once every 30 days when being used

Make sure the thermostat is protected from a heating / cooling source

Winter window insulation tips

Winter door insulation tips

Fixing a heat register under a window

Changing homes? Change your energy habits!