6 Free Ways To Winterize Your Home

Posted on Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Finding the perfect balance between staying warm and keeping heating costs down can be difficult. Fortunately, there are some steps that don’t cost a dime that can make it easier to comfortably lower your bills. All it takes is a little bit of knowledge, time, and patience.

Winterizing For Free

1.) Turn down to thermostat.
The U.S. Department of Energy has an amazing online source for energy efficiency in your home. They estimate that you can save 3% on your heating bill for every degree you turn down the thermostat. If you are comfortable at 65 – 68 degrees, turn down your thermostat to 55 degrees when you are asleep or away for any period longer than an hour.

Part of being comfortable in colder temperatures is snuggling up. Most importantly, wear socks and slippers. If your feet are warm, your whole body is probably warm too.

2.) Don’t use exhaust fans.
In 1 hour, exhaust fans can completely clear your home of the hot air that was just in it. Instead of turning on the fan, open some doors inside your home and spread the heat around. Even a ceiling fan is a better option.

3.) Keep the fireplace damper on.
Fireplaces aren’t as warm as most people think. Since the heat rises out of a chimney, it will also pull the warm air from inside of your home to the outside. So if you are using a fireplace to supplement your current heating, think again. You are actually going to use more heat as your furnace tries to keep up with the warm air that your chimney is losing.

4.) Lower the water heater temperature to 115-120.
Your water heater does not need to be above 130 degrees. If it is, you should probably consider turning it down for reasons beyond efficiency. Water beyond 130 degrees is hot enough to burn your skin. If someone accidentally dials the shower or faucet wrong, they could get hurt. The secondary advantage to a cooler water heater is that it is more efficient to heat water and keep it in the 115 degree range.

5.) Make sure your vents are clear
A really common mistake people make is covering their vents. Vents blocked by rugs and furniture prevent efficient air circulation. If your couch has to block the vent, you’ve weighed your options in the wrong direction.

6.) Use curtains on your windows
Open up your window curtains in the day to let the light and heat in. As the sun sets, close them and they will hold the heat in.

Getting By On The Cheap

You can make big improvements to your home energy bill by following a few of the steps above. If you would like to take your energy savings even further, you will have to spend a little money, but it doesn’t take much. Stick around to learn 10 Affordable Ways To Winterize Your Home.

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