Winter Energy Efficiency Tips for Your CT Home
As evidenced by the chilly weather, it’s clear that Connecticut winters pack a punch (even when it’s not snowing), leaving CT homeowners with mountainous heating bills and some extra stress. In this blog post, we will talk about five energy efficiency tips that will help you keep your home warm during these cold winter months. Some of these tips are inexpensive to complete and can be used daily to help you increase your savings. However, other tips are actions to take in order to lock down maximum savings throughout the winter months.
Cover drafty windows or consider replacing. Drafty windows can pose a real threat to any home that is looking to become energy efficient.
Covering drafty windows is a simple step towards making your home more energy efficient. To cover drafty windows, use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months. Sealing the plastic tightly to the frame will help reduce infiltration of cold air. Also, it may be beneficial to install tight-fitting, insulating drapes or shades on windows that still feel drafty after weatherizing. For older homes, consider replacing worn windows with new energy efficient windows.
Adjust the Thermostat
Let’s start off with the most basic tip. Adjusting the temperature is the simplest way to reduce winter home heating costs. When you and your family are home and awake, set your thermostat as low as is comfortable for you. You can save even more by turning your thermostat back ten or fifteen degrees while you are asleep or out of the. Invest in warm flannel sheets and a big comforter for your bed, so that you can keep your home cooler while you sleep.
Find and seal leaks.
During the cold winter months, it is important to find and seal leaks. Seal the air leaks around utility cut-throughs for pipes, gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets. Areas such as attic, garage, doors, and unused rooms should be closed tightly when they are not in use as there is no use of heating those areas. Also, it is often beneficial to add caulk or weather stripping to seal air leaks around leaky doors and windows. A qualified contractor can also help you test for leaks and seal them, and can also add insulation to your attic and walls if needed.
Maintain your heating system.
Many CT homes are heated with either furnaces or boilers. Furnaces heat air and distribute the heated air through the house using ducts. Boilers heat water, and provide either hot water or steam for heating. Upgrading to a high efficiency furnace or boiler is an effective way to save money on home heating.
Scheduling service for your heating system is the easiest way to save money on maintaining your heating system. For those who own furnaces, you can maintain your equipment by replacing your furnace filter once a month or as needed. Proper maintenance will extend the life of your furnace nor boiler.
Before purchasing a new furnace or boiler or modifying your current unit, first make every effort to improve the energy efficiency of your home, and then have a heating contractor, size your furnace. Energy-efficiency improvements will save money on a new furnace or boiler, because you can purchase a smaller unit.
Fiderio & Sons
The CT home improvement staff at Fiderio & Sons Home Remodeling Company are Energy Efficient Experts. They sell ENERGY STAR products and provide services to create energy efficient homes whether they are new homes or old, beautiful, and drafty New England homes.
