|
|
- Seal off your attic circulating fan with polyethylene and tape.
- Make sure you have at least 6" of good thermal insulation in your ceiling.
- Insulate heat ducts - a home can lose up to 25% of its hot air before it reaches the vents!
- Wrap your pipes to guard against heat loss and prevent them from freezing.
- FREE - Close the damper when you're not using the fireplace.
- FREE - During the day, close drapes or pull shades at windows with no direct sunlight. At night,
close all drapes for added insulation.
- Check caulking around windows and doors and repair if necessary.
- Use storm windows and doors, and make sure they fit tightly.
- If you don't have storm windows, cover outside glass with polyethylene sheets to help hold in the heat.
- FREE - If you have an attached garage, keep the garage doors closed to keep heat loss through the house wall at a minimum.
- Seal off basement windows and attic door with tape.
- Don't waste oil or money by heating an unfinished basement. Insulate the piping, boiler and hot water lines.
- FREE - Close your kitchen vent when not in use.
- FREE - Keep closet doors closed.
- Check vents for cracks and seal if necessary.
- FREE - Remove air conditioning window units or cover them well.
- Install ceiling fans. They could cut your energy bill by 40%. And reversing fans for upward air flow will move warm air
down in winter.
- Use a humidifier: A properly humidified home is as comfortable at 70 degrees as a dry one at 73 or 74 degrees.
- FREE - If you have zone control, reduce heat to unused rooms and seal off from the rest of
the house.
- FREE - Make sure that rugs and furniture don't block air circulation.
- FREE - Turn your thermostat down to 65 degrees or lower at night. During the day, adjust to
lowest comfortable setting. Turn your thermostat back 8 degrees when not at home for extended periods of time.
- For top efficiency, replace air filters as recommended.
- Have your furnace checked, cleaned and adjusted once a year.
- FREE - Lower the temperature of your water heater from 140 degrees (medium) to 120 degrees
(low). You'll save 3-5% in water heating costs for each 10-degree reduction.
- If your burner is more than 15 years old, consider replacing it with a new, energy-efficient model. A modern burner can
produce the same amount of heat as an old burner with much less fuel ... and at far less cost to you!
|
|
|