How I've Reduced My Energy Bills

It's that time of year again, it's starting to get cold and you can just feel the cold air stealing into your nice, warm home. Here are five easy ways I've reduced my energy bills.

TURN YOUR THERMOSTAT DOWN

Everyone thinks when it starts getting cold, it's time to turn the thermostat up. In my house, it's just the opposite. I keep the thermostat at 74 degrees during the summer months, and turn it down this time of year to 68 degrees. In the heat of summer, 74 degrees actually feels quite good, and in the winter when it's freezing outside 68 degrees is plenty warm to keep your nose from turning red! You'd be surprised how much energy you can save just by bumping the thermostat up a little in the summer and down a little in the winter.

GET AN ELECTRONIC, PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT

Using a programmable thermostat helps you, and the rest of your family from playing with the settings every time you think you feel a little chill. Take the guesswork out of the equation and let the thermostat do all the work for you!

SEAL YOUR WINDOWS ON THE INSIDE WITH PLASTIC

Unless you've got new or almost new triple-pane windows, chances are you're losing heat out of them. Windows are one of the worst culprits when it comes to "jacking up" your energy bills. You don't have to buy those expensive "weatherproofing kits" from your local DIY hardware store either. I've found that the plastic sheeting that comes in those kits is much too thin to do much good. Just buy a large roll of 4 mil painters plastic, it usually runs about $6 - $10 a roll, and how much you'll need to do the job depends on how many windows you have to cover and what size they are. I have 10 windows, including 2 large bow windows on the North side of my home and it usually takes me almost 2 whole rolls of 8' x 25' painters plastic to cover them all. How do you hold it up there? I use 2" wide painters masking tape. The nice thing about using painters masking tape is that it comes off easily without marring the walls in the Spring, and these days you can find it cheaply at any hardware store in a variety of colors so that you can blend it in more easily with the wall paint! 

A lot of people worry that the plastic will look tacky, but it's winter, and if you're smart, you'll be following my next tip anyway, which will help keep that plastic hidden from view...

COVER YOUR WINDOWS WITH HEAVY CURTAINS IN THE WINTER

These type curtains are sometimes called "blackout curtains", or "thermal insulated curtains". They've become quite popular in recent years and can be found at any major retailer or fabric store. They come in every color and style imaginable and do wonders at keeping the cold out and the heat in. They are also excellent during the summer months at the reverse, keeping the cool inside and the heat outside. These style curtains are also fantastic for media rooms, keeping the sunlight from washing out the beautiful picture on that new widescreen HD TV.

INVEST A FEW DOLLARS IN "LOW-FLOW"

If you don't already have low-flow faucets in your home, you can invest just a few dollars and with nothing more than a pair of pliers and a little elbow grease and convert your faucets to low-flow by installing low-flow aerator kits on them. Aerators are nothing more than a small plastic disc with holes drilled through them, regulating the flow of water out of your faucet. More holes = more water, fewer holes = less water. It's unlikely that you'll even notice a difference when washing your hands, but you will notice a difference on your water bill each month. You might also consider installing a low-flow shower head as well.

These suggestions are all tried and true, I've used every one of them here on my home and noticed a significant difference in my bills. It only takes a little time and effort and you too can be saving money, and staying comfortably warm this winter!