Try Out These Wintertime Energy-Saving Tips That Also Help the Environment

Winter has arrived once again bringing along cold weather and increasing energy bills. Keeping your home warm and comfortable during winter can cause your utility bills to go up considerably, especially if you have failed to prepare your home for the cold weather. Fortunately, it’s not too late to reduce your home’s energy use with a few wintertime energy-saving tips that also will help the environment.

• Schedule an annual maintenance check for your heating system, if you neglected to do so this fall. Ensuring your heating equipment is performing optimally can help save energy and reduce utility bills, while being good for the environment.
• Install one or more programmable thermostats that allow you schedule temperature changes, according to your daily and weekly schedules. The heat will be turned down while you’re asleep and at work, and then programmed to return to a comfortable temperature shortly before you awaken or return home.
• Try setting your home’s temperature two or three degrees lower when you’re at home. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you become accustomed to the new normal, especially if you wear warm sweaters and socks around the house. This will translate into real energy savings.
• Check and upgrade your home’s insulation. Insulation helps reduce heat loss, which directly saves energy and the environment. Poor insulation can increase your utility bill considerably. Attic insulation is the easiest to upgrade and offers the biggest payoff in terms of lower energy use.
• Consider upgrading your single-pane windows to energy-saving double- or triple-pane windows. This will not only reduce your energy bill but may also qualify you for tax benefits.
• Weatherstrip to seal any gaps and leaks around movable joints on doors and windows. Use caulk or spray foam to seal air leaks around your home’s outer envelope.

To learn more about wintertime energy-saving tips, please contact us at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We serve homeowners in northwest Arkansas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Springdale, Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy savings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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