Winter is Coming, Is Your Home Ready?

Everyone wants to save money. One of the fastest ways to do that is to improve your homes efficiency, which reduces energy bills. Winter is fast approaching and there are ways to improve your home that can make a dramatic difference.

Electricity is expensive, especially when it is wasted. Consolidate your appliances.  Do you really need an extra refrigerator in the garage or basement? More than likely this is the old model that was replaced with a newer Energy Star model that you couldn't give up. Give it up. Older appliances waste energy. Especially if they are 10 years old or older. If you have an extra freezer, fill it with food or freeze milk jugs of water to keep them cold. Empty freezers waste your money. Only use lights when you are in the room, it does no good to keep them on. Fans cool bodies, not rooms. When you are in the room turn the ceiling fan on, when you leave, turn it off.

Natural gas, propane, and fuel oil costs a lot. Insulate your home as much as possible. This is cheap, especially if you do it yourself. Caulk and weather stripping around the windows and doors also helps. Keep your furnace or boiler running efficiently. Having your heating and cooling systems checked yearly cuts down on the amount of fuel that they consume. This service from an authorized licensed mechanical contractor is relatively inexpensive and increases the efficiency and life of the furnace.

Get a humidifier. Humidified air feels warmer. This allows you to set the thermostat 2 degrees cooler than without it. Speaking of thermostats, pitch your standard thermostat and opt for the programmable thermostat. Setting the thermostat back when you are not home can dramatically cut your energy bills.   

These are a few general tips on increasing the efficiency of your home, doing just one or all of these improvements puts money back in your pocket. 

Andy Bobo is a residential heating and cooling consultant and co-owner of CMR Mechanical in Dexter. He can be reached at 734-424-9555.