As it gets colder and colder outside, it may be tempting to crank up the thermostat and snuggle inside your home. But don’t let the chilly weather lead you to higher bills.
Keeping your household bills down during the winter can be a challenge. But with a little effort and planning, you can keep your bills lower without freezing yourself out. Read below for our FirstTrust tips and tricks for saving money this winter.
Lower the temperature on your thermostat during the workday. You obviously don’t want to be cold or uncomfortable in your home but while you and your family are at work or school during the day, consider turning the thermostat down a bit to save energy and money. According to energy.gov, “You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.”
It’s also a great idea to invest in a smart thermostat, such as a Google Nest or Ecobee, to conserve energy and balance the temperature in your home when you’re not there. (nytimes.com – The Best Smart Thermostat)
Make sure your heating system is prepared to weather the winter cold by bringing in a professional to perform an HVAC maintenance check. They can check your heating system and ensure it’s in working conditions before it may be too late.
Switch the direction of your ceiling fans to force hot air down. While we usually think of ceiling fans as a way to cool a room when it’s hot, they can also be used in the winter as well! By setting your fan blades to rotate in the opposite direction, it will draw the cold air up to the ceiling and force warm air down (remember, heat rises!) This simple adjustment can help heat your home and allows you to keep the thermostat down.
Replace dirty air filters to prevent reduced airflow. Clogged filters can reduce your heater’s efficiency and result in higher energy costs. Make sure to check your filter every month or so, especially during the winter when your heater is working twice as hard.
Don’t go overboard on the holiday lights this year to save you some money (and energy consumption.) While we all love the holiday season with the bright lights and fun decorations, it can be quite costly to keep your house lit up all winter long. A simple way to save some energy is to substitute new LED holiday lights for your run-of-the-mill incandescent lights. Not only will this help with your money savings, but it will also be a bit brighter! Also, did you know LEDs “use at least 75% less energy, and last up to 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting.”? (energy.gov)
As the weather gets colder and the season cheer spreads, we hope you and your family stay warm and enjoy the holiday season with these quick and simple energy saving tips for your home. And remember, FirstTrust is for you!
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