Guest Blogger: How to Conserve Energy in Your Home this Winter

Guest Blogger #756, Entry #1769, October 30, 2012

Winter weather in colder climes can make for a lot of energy usage in the home, what with the furnace running non-stop, the water heater working overtime to fill the tub, and everyone using space heaters and electric blankets to stay warm and cozy at night. It’s not easy to shut out the chill of winter, and if you’re unprepared you could be using a lot more electricity than you bargained for (and suffering high utility bills as a result). Even locales closer to the equator may still call for additional energy resources at times during the winter months, especially if winter storms occur or the temperature drops at night. So if you’re not keen to face another year of skyrocketing energy bills or you’d like to do your part for the environment (or both), here are a couple of energy-saving tips that will help to economize your home this winter.

Save energy this winter with these tips

Consider an energy audit

The first thing you should probably look into is an energy audit. These home assessments are designed to help you discover where the bought air is getting out, so to speak. You can often secure such services through your power provider, or at the very least they can suggest an independent company in your area that will do the job. An auditor will then examine your house from top to bottom in search of leaks around door and window frames, pipes, vents, seams, and so on and deliver a report on his findings. He may then offer you a course of action or recommend another vendor that can make the repairs needed to effectively seal your house against the intrusion of weather or the loss of air and energy that will increase your usage.

Install a programmable thermostat

As for how to increase energy efficiency within your home, there are several options. The first and probably the easiest is to install a programmable thermostat (if you don’t already have one). This will allow you to automatically set the temperature in your home for certain times of day. For example, you don’t need to keep the house at a toasty 75 degrees when the whole family is away at work or school; instead you can set the furnace to cycle down during the day and then reheat before people come home for the night. Or if you want to get really fancy you can install a smart home alarm system from a company like Vivint that allows you to remotely control not only your security system, but also lights, electronics, and even the thermostat from your smartphone.

Ensure you save energy this winter

Low-tech solutions

Of course, you might be looking for some low-tech solutions, as well. And here you have plenty of options. Weather stripping, storm windows, and insulative foam can all help to cut leakage in common areas. And if you plant some trees around the perimeter of the home you can help to regulate the indoor temperature with a natural wind-break. On the other hand, winter winds could work to your advantage; if you’re interested in alternative energy resources, a small turbine for home use could actually transform winter weather into energy to heat your home. And by the way, sweaters, long underwear, and wool socks for the whole family could help to cut back on energy consumption, as well. You don’t have to hit up a site like newhomesource.com in search of a winter home in sunnier climes just because your energy bills are ridiculous in the winter – there are simple solutions that will help you to reduce consumption and cut costs while staying warm all winter long.

Image sources: 1, 2

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.