Winter may be a few months away, but now is a great time to start getting ready for it. With energy prices on the rise, it is important to find ways to cut costs and reduce the amount of energy you use in the winter. Let’s go over a few quick ways to help lower your energy costs and get ready for winter.
First, one of the easiest ways to dramatically reduce your home heating costs is by sealing your windows. There are many different kinds of window kits available that will completely seal off any gaps or drafts. Summertime is a great time to purchase these kits since they will typically be marked down by 50% or more. This means instead of spending $5 or more per window, you can do it for about $2.50 a window. If you’ve got a lot of windows in your home, this can really add up.
Summer is also a good time to start thinking about your insulation and the shape it may be in. If your home is fairly new, you should not have to worry about this. However, if you have noticed that no matter what you do your house still feels pretty cold, poor insulation may be the culprit. Look at the R rating on your current insulation and double check to make sure that it is meant for your area. If it is, it may have degraded, or you may need a little more to make your house feel cozy.
If you have a forced air heating system, it’s time to get those filters out and replaced. Having a clean filter in your furnace can reduce your heating costs significantly. Once again, you can take advantage of summer discounts and stock up on filters for the entire year. You should be replacing them at least every month, or more if you live in a particularly dusty area.
For those with wood or pellet stoves stocking up on fuel now can make a big difference in how much you spend. If you’re trying to scramble to find pellets or wood during the peak periods, you’re definitely going to be paying more money. If you’ve got the space, start stocking up now. If you have a propane furnace, you can do almost the same thing.
Many gas companies are now offering propane contracts for the winter. What this means is that you agree to purchase a set amount of propane over the winter, usually around 1000 gallons, and they will offer you a lower price. You’ll also get the benefit of locking that price in, so that no matter how high it goes through the winter, you’ll still be paying that initial price. As gas prices continue to go up, this is a great way to save money.
Last but not least, start checking your pipes for leaks. If you live in an area that gets very cold, you may want to consider adding pipe insulation to avoid having to deal with frozen pipes in the future.
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Originally posted 2008-09-08 05:42:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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Handy Man, Heating, insulation, Low Budget, pipes
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2 comments ↓
Great tips!
I have also found that making sure all my electrical outlets on exterior walls are insulated makes a big difference. You can get foam gaskets for this purpose cheap, and they’re easy to install.
This is also a great time of year to make sure your snowblower is working and tuned up- if you need parts or repairs, good luck getting them quickly after the first big snowfall hits!
You know, I never would have even started to think about winterizing my home until at least late September and probably more into October. However, I can totally see how doing this NOW can be far more cost effective (out of season buying) and make it easier to install/repair anything since it won’t be freezing out! Also, some of these tips, like sealing the windows, should help lower cooling bills as well. Good pointers!
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