Save Money on Home Energy This Winter

Save Money

On Home Energy This Winter

As we head into the winter months, you may notice one thing: an increase in your energy bill. The reduced amount of daylight drives us to turn on our lights sooner, while the cooler temperatures cause us to crank up the heat inside. The winter and summer months tend to be the most energy-intensive times of the year, as we try to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature, despite what the thermometer says. 

8 Tips to Save Money and Stay Warm this Winter 

  

1. Set the thermostat to 20° C (68°F) when you’re home.  Studies show you use 3-5% more energy for each degree the thermostat is set above this number.  Instead of increasing the heat, put on a sweater to stay warm. 

2. When you leave the house, lower the thermostat.  Why heat your house if no one is home? Lowering your
thermostat 10 -15 degrees can save 5-15% a year on your energy bill.  

3. Close your curtains or blinds at night and when you’re not home to keep warm air from escaping. Go the extra mile and invest in thermal blackout curtains, which can help keep warm air where it belongs—in your home.

4. Check for drafts around windows and doors. Caulk gaps and cracks when you see them to prevent heat from escaping.

5. Close the damper of your fireplace when you’re not using it. Being mindful of this small action can keep your house noticeably warmer.

6. Insulate. Up to 25%of heat is lost through the small cracks and holes around the house.  Properly   insulating your walls, doors and attic can save you up to 10% on your total energy costs.

7. Replace old windows. Depending on the climate, windows can account for 25-50% of a home’s heating and cooling needs.  Make sure you’re not losing precious heat in the winter by replacing your old windows with high performance, energy-efficient windows. The added bonus? These windows not only regulate the amount of heat that is absorbed, they also help block outside noise.

8. Maintain your heating and cooling duct system.  By keeping your HVAC system in great shape, you can avoid costly and sudden repairs that might leave your home without heat, plus save money on your energy bills. 

Extend The Life Of Your Heating System

Your heating system will not only last longer if it is well maintained, but it will maximize its efficiency and minimize loss.  If you follow these steps you can extend the life of your heating system.

1. Every month clean the air filters and replace them on a regular basis.  Minimum replaced once in spring as you get your air conditioner ready and again in the fall as you get ready for the heat to come on.
2. Inspect to be sure the air ducts and heating pipes are properly sealed.
3. Inspect for dirt or corrosion. 
4. The heat exchanger should be kept clean to maintain heating levels.
5. Make sure the air vents are clear.  No furniture or curtains covering any of the vents and the vents are in the open position.

How Efficient is Your Furnace?

When your furnace converts the fuel it is using to heat, the more heat you will retain in your home is based on how efficient the furnace is.  The efficiency of your furnace is measured in AFUE - Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency.  The AFUE is found when you divide the annual fossil fuel energy your furnace uses by how efficient it is at converting the energy from its fuel to heat. 

Use the AFUE from your furnace to know if its time to upgrade.   If you do not know your furnaces AFUE, usually you can visit the manufacturer’s website by model or serial number to find your furnace’s rating.

56-70% AFUE: Heating systems that fall in this range are older, low- efficiency systems, and should be upgraded

80-83% AFUE: Heating systems that fall in this range are mid-efficiency systems.

90-98.5% AFUE: Heating systems that fall in the range are HIGH-EFFICIENCY systems

Keep Energy Costs Down All Year

Keeping your home warm in the winter uses the same things to keep it comfortable all year round.  Things like fixing drafts, keeping your filters clean and using a programmable thermostat.

Clean your systems filters once a month

Have a HIGH-EFFICIENCY HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM installed

Switch your thermostat switch to ‘AUTO’.  This way your system will not run continuously.

Program your thermostat to turn the temperature down when you are not home.

Consider purchasing a ‘SMART THERMOSTAT’.  These you can control from your smart phone even if your are not home.

Sources:  PG&E, Energy.gov, Natural Resources Canada, EnergyStar, Buffini

Keep Your Heating Bills in Check This Winter

In the middle of January or February, your gas or electric bill can be pretty shocking. You don’t have to turn the heat down to 60 degrees and pile on the blankets to keep your heating bill under control. Stay warm with these tips.

AMY FREEMANTODAY

Winter is coming, and with it sky-high heating bills. If your Philly gas or electric bill spikes every year from December through March, it’s time to do something about it. There’s no reason why you need to pay an arm and a leg to keep you Philadelphia home comfortably warm all winter long.

Fix Up Your Furnace

If your furnace is working harder than it needs to, you’re likely to see higher heating bills throughout the winter. Before the temperatures fall too much, have a repair company come out and tune up your furnace for the winter. During a tune up, a heating contractor will fully inspect the machine, replace the filters, and perform any maintenance needed. The tune up helps your furnace run more efficiently throughout the winter.

Use Your Fans

Ceiling fans don’t just help keep your home cool in the summer. They can also help warm it up in the winter, as long as the blades are spinning the right direction. In the winter, adjust your fan so that the blades turn slowly clockwise, this creates an updraft, helping distribute the warm air in your home.

Seal Up Any Leaks

Your heating costs will increase if the warm air is able to sneak out of your home and if cold air is allowed to seep in. To keep things toasty, caulk around windows and doors to keep warm air in. Look at where your outlet boxes are too, as cold air can often seep in through them. If your home has a fireplace, make sure the dampers are closed (when not in use) so that air doesn’t leak up and out through the chimney.

Upgrade Your Thermostat

You know that lowering your thermostat a degree or two can cut the cost of heating your home. But it can be difficult to remember to raise or lower the temperature as needed. If you want to lower your bills, it can be helpful to purchase a smart thermostat. There are a number of brands available, but the basic concept is that they learn to automatically adjust the temperature in your home based on your habits and preferences and based on the time of year. Some smart thermostats let you know when to tune up your furnace or change the filter for maximum efficiency.

Work with Your Utility Company

You want to reduce your bills, and your utility company wants you to pay your bills on time. It should be no surprise that both PGW and Peco have programs designed to help you with your heating costs. One option offered by both companies is budget billing. With budget billing, you pay the same amount each month, based on your past use and averaged out over the year. You don’t save money with the budget bill plan, but it can help you avoid a bit of a shock or having to scramble to come up with money to cover a higher than usual bill in the winter.

PGW also offers a program called CARES, which provides payment help if you’ve had an unusual circumstance that’s keeping you from paying your bill. Job loss and a medical emergency are two examples of situations that might qualify you for the CARES program.

Pennsylvania offers LIHEAP for households that meet certain income limits. The program usually starts taking applications in November.

Don’t let high heating bills leave you cold this winter. You have lots of options for reducing your bills, without sacrificing comfort.

Basic Home Improvements

With prices on mostly everything increasing, bigger chunks are being taken out of our wallets every day.  You could save money on your home bills with a few home improvements.  Some improvements that help you save can actually add to the value of your home.

Two areas that you may be able to save are your Hydro and Water Bills.

Hydro:
There are many ways to save on your hydro bill.  You may have switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs already but there is more you can do.    Technology on L.E.D. light bulbs has come along way.  They are now cheaper to purchase and the look and colour of the bulbs is now equivalent to traditional incandescent bulbs.  You can find them at your local hardware of home improvement store.

Manage the temperature inside your house with a programmable or smart thermostat.  A programmable thermostat helps save energy and money by scheduling temperature settings for when you are likely to need heat and air conditioning.  A smart thermostat can be set to know when you are on your way home and have your home at the temperature you want when you arrive home.

If your home won't stay warm in winter and cool in the summer check your windows and doors.  Drafty windows can cause a big chunk of your heating and cooling losses.  You can apply new weather stripping to windows and doors to close up the leaks.  If you have older windows you may need to apply clear shrink film over the window which will add an extra barrier around the window preventing heat loss in the winter.

Installing timer switches that turn the lights (or exhaust fans) off after a predetermined amount of time can also help to save you money by not having lights and fans run while your not in the room.  Occupancy sensing light switches are also available.  These will detect if anyone is in the room or not and turn the lights on or off accordingly.

Ceiling fans can drastically help air flow throughout  your home, helping your furnace or air conditioner heat or cool more efficiently.

Your furnace filter is a very easy way to help your furnace perform how it was designed.  In the spring and fall replace the filters before you need to cool or heat your home.  Replacing the filter will also collect dust and dirt making your home cleaner and healthier.



Water:
Showering and bathing comprises 35% of Canadian household water usage.   You can install low flow shower heads and faucets which can dramatically decrease your water consumption.

Fix any leaky faucets and pipes to decrease your water bill.  If leaks are not repaired you could require more expensive repairs down the road.  A good habit to get into is to check your faucets and pipes for wear and tear every six months.  If you notice a leak have it fixed right away.

When doing your laundry and dishes, wait till the off peak hours of the day.

How old is your hot water tank?  New hot water tanks are much more efficient.  Consider a tankless water heater.  It may help save you money and the bonus is you will never run out of hot water again.