If you’re hoping to save money on your heating bills this fall without sacrificing comfort, consider these five energy-savings tips. These tips are proven to deliver energy savings without reducing home comfort.
- Give the thermostat some attention: Replace your outdated thermostat with a new programmable version. This investment allows you to set the temperature back while you’re away at work all day or sleeping at night. Use the programmable thermostat correctly, and you could save 10 to 20 percent on your heating bills. This is particularly true if you dress for the season and keep the thermostat at 68 degrees when you’re home.
- Run the ceiling fan in reverse: Hit the reversing switch on your ceiling fan and run it on the lowest speed to gently force air up toward the ceiling. This helps re-circulate heated air trapped at the height of cathedral ceilings. This is one of those useful energy-savings tips that doesn’t cost a dime.
- Seal windows and doors: Use caulk and weatherstripping to improve the seals around windows and doors, thus reducing energy-wasting drafts. Remember, if you can rattle a window or door — or even see outside through aged weatherstripping — cold autumn air can get inside.
- Change the furnace filter: A clean filter can save about 5 percent on your energy bills and help keep dust levels down in the house as well. Plan to change or clean the filter according to the manufacturer’s directions monthly during the heating season.
- Adjust your hot water usage: Hot water costs more in the winter since it’s bitterly cold when it enters the tank. You can use a couple of energy-savings tips to save on hot water heating costs. First, turn down the temperature from 140 to 120 degrees. Then, take short showers instead of deep baths. Finally, install low-flow faucets and shower heads to reduce your water consumption at the tap.
For more fall energy-savings tips, please contact us at Climate Control Company. Our experience serving Western Colorado dates back to 1956.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Aspen, Vail and the surrounding Western slope communities in Colorado about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy savings and other HVAC topics, please visit our website.
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