Save Hundreds of Dollars in Future Energy Costs

By taking a few simple steps now — at little or no cost to you — you can reduce your energy use and your heating bills this winter and save hundreds of dollars over the long term. Have the Home Energy Squad visit your home to assess your energy-saving opportunities and install energy-efficient materials of your choice, such as a programmable thermostat, weather stripping, CFL bulbs, high-efficiency shower head, faucet aerators, water heater insulation, refrigerator thermometer. Learn more and schedule an appointment here.

Some of the things they may suggest are:

• Install a programmable thermostat so you can pre-set different temperatures for different times of the day.
  Energy.gov recommends setting your thermostat to 68°F while you’re awake and adjusting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home. By turning your thermostat back 10° to 15° for 8 hours, you can save 5% to 15% a year on your heating bill — a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long.
• Adjust the temperature setting on your water heater so it’s not too high or too low.
  If it is too high you are wasting energy and money by heating water you may likely never use. If the temperature is set too low you will likely run out of hot water during peak shower/bathing periods and it could promote the growth of dangerous bacteria. According to Energy.gov, 120ºF is an adequate setting for most households.
• Use less hot water. 
  Install a low-flow showerhead and faucet aerators in your kitchen and bathroom.
• Replace your furnace filter monthly during the heating season. 
  Dirty/clogged furnace filters cause the furnace to not operate at its maximum efficiency and thus waste energy. This simple action can reduce your heating costs by up to 5% or about $35 a year.
• Add weather stripping to doors and windows to prevent valuable heat from escaping.
• Adjust drapes/window coverings to capture the most heat.
  Close drapes/window coverings at night as an added layer of insulation. Open south facing window coverings by day to let the sunshine in.