Although we haven’t experienced extreme cold temperatures in our area this year, keeping your home warm & safe while keeping your heating bills down remains a concern.
Heat is drawn to the cold glass of windows, looking for ways to escape. The heat lost through windows can account for 10 to 25 percent of a home’s heating bill.
Weatherize
· Seal up holes
· Weather strip doors and insulate attic floors
· Keep fireplace dampers tightly closed when not in use
Insulate
· Select window blinds designed to reduce energy loss at the window
· Hunter Douglas Architella® honeycomb shades can reduce heat loss up to 50 percent
Improve and maintain mechanical systems
· Service and clean your furnace yearly, change or clean filters monthly during the winter
· Test your security alarm system
· Set programmable thermostats for different temperatures based on the time of day
· Home Automation can automatically control thermostats, lights, and window blinds
· Turning down the heat 7 degrees for 8 hours can reduce your heating bill by 10 percent
Watch your windows
· Open your window blinds on sunny days in the winter to let in solar heat
· Close your window blinds at night in the winter to trap heat in
· Automatically open and close blinds based on day, time, season, or sun
Keep the air circulating
· Don’t block floor registers, baseboards, or radiators with rugs or furniture
· Change ceiling fans to a low, reverse setting to circulate the warm air trapped near the ceiling
Landscape
· Stop chilling winter winds by planting evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and west sides
· Don’t create a blocked view for burglars to hide behind
Don’t have an open door policy
· Make sure your doors are completely closed
· Latch windows to prevent leakage and keep your home safe