1. Tune up your heating system: A furnace tune-up covers the essential maintenance care your heating system needs. This helps the furnace operate with better energy efficiency, which saves money on heating bills. Schedule an appointment with an air conditioning and heating expert.
2. Weatherproof your home: Unless your home is properly sealed and your home is weatherproofed, the temperature inside your house is probably impacted by the outside temperature more than you realize. A leaky house can lead to higher energy bills. Taking a few simple steps that won't break the bank can lower your energy bills...AND help save the planet!
3. Replace your old windows with new energy-efficient windows: Energy-efficient windows are an important consideration for both new and existing homes. Heat gain and heat loss through windows are responsible for approx 25% of residential heating and cooling energy use.
4. Replace your old furnace with a new energy-efficient furnace: A new energy-efficient furnace may save you plenty of money.
5. Properly maintain your furnace: Your heating system is the largest energy expense in your home. You furnace accounts for about 45% of your energy bills. Regular maintenance is critical for ensuring your furnace remains efficient.
6. Use solar heat if possible: If your looking for a way to reduce the cost of heating your home, solar heat can be a great solution.
7. Turn down your thermostats: The EPA recommends setting your thermostat around 70 degrees when you are home and awake turning it down to 62 degrees when you are out or asleep. This will help reduce your use of energy and lower your costs.
8. Turn off the light when leaving a room: The cost effectiveness of WHEN to turn off lights does depend on the type of bulb and the cost of electricity.
9. Use energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs: Compared to traditional incandescent, energy-efficient light bulbs use less energy, saving you money and can last more than 3 times longer.
10. Run your dishwasher and washer only when full: Running your dishwasher and washer with a full load only can save you money on your energy costs AND prevent carbon pollution!
11. Lower your water heater temperature: Although some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140 degrees F, most households usually only require them to be set at 120 degrees F. This can also slow mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes.
12. Take shorter showers: The average shower uses about 5 gallons of water per minute. If you shorten your shower by 2 minutes, you can cut your water use by 10 gallons.
13. Unplug unused appliances: The energy costs of plugged-in appliances can add up fast. Unplugging them could save you up to $200 per year.
14. Carpool whenever possible: Carpooling is an easy way to save on fuel and thus, save money.