If you want to stay warm during the winter and lower your energy costs, there are a few things you must do around the house.
How can you make your home more energy-efficient now that winter is here? There are several things you can do.
One of the things I often see with sellers is them not having serviced their heating systems for sometimes as long as two, three, or even five years. By servicing your heating system, you can almost double the life of your heater. If you haven’t done that, now is the time to call a heating company to service and clean your heating system and make any necessary repairs to it.
Most people wait until the heater breaks, and that’s usually during the first winter freeze-up. Heating companies can sometimes be backed up three or four days during this time, though, so you want to stay ahead of that.
Another thing you can do is make sure all of your windows are caulked on the outside and inside. If you’ve got older windows that naturally leak air, you can also insulate them by putting plastic shields over them.
Next, consider installing a programmable thermostat. Turning your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees at night or while you’re not at home can save you about 10% on your heating bill.
Also, don’t heat unused spaces. If you have rooms you don’t use, shut the heater down in them. That will filter the heat to other places in the house. If the heater works less, it will cost you less money.
Lastly, if you have large windows that let a lot of sun in during the day, make sure those windows are open so that sunlight can heat your home naturally.
If you have any questions about energy efficiencies in your home or you have any other real estate questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send us an email. I’d be happy to help you.
