Lowering Your Energy Bill
- Add insulation.
Adding insulation and weather stripping can lower your energy cost by up to 30%. Also, seal large gaps around the chimney, furnace flue, plumbing pipes, duct work, light fixtures, and soffits in the attic.
- Seal leaks.
Caulking and weather stripping gaps and cracks around the home will help conserve heat. Focus especially on the attic, basement, windows, and doorways.
- Program your thermostat.
You can lower your heating cost by up to 20% by lowering your thermostat by 5 degrees at night and 10 degrees during the day when no one is home. Many thermostats today offer programmable features that allow you to input a schedule for that week – incase, for example, you need your home warmer during the day on weekends when people are home but do not need as much heat during weekdays.
- You can also save money through hot water usage.
Insulate hot water pipes and lower the temperature on your hot water heater from 130 to 120 degrees to help you save up to 5% on energy bills.
- Shorten showers.
Showers account for as much as 2/3 of your water heating costs. Also, replacing old shower heads with low flow models can save up to half the hot water used for showering.