Anyone that follows the channel or the blog, knows that I absolutely love the cooler months of the year. It’s nice to be able to curl up in front of the fireplace and enjoy a hot cup of cider. With that said, there are some things you need to do each year to make sure you’re not throwing money out the window – literally. With a bit of prep before the cold weather arrives, you can help ensure that your home is energy efficient. Let’s take a closer look at some energy efficient ways to get your home ready for fall.
Getting Your Home Ready for Fall
Check Windows and Doors for Leaks
Heating your home is costly enough, but when there are leaks around your doors and windows, the costs are even higher. If you want your home to be energy efficient, you need to take the time to check your home’s doors and windows for leaks. As you walk around the outside of your home, feel around your windows for any difference in air temperature. If the weather is still warm enough to run your air conditioner, you will feel cold air coming out. As for doors, take a dollar bill and shut it in the door, if you can easily pull the bill from the door jam, too much air is escaping around your doors. You can place foam seals along your doors and windows to help reduce leaks. Some electricity providers will even come to your home to do an energy audit.
Have Your Furnace Serviced
Another energy efficient way to get your home ready for fall is to have your furnace serviced. If your furnace isn’t functioning properly, it can use a lot more energy. Make sure to call several weeks before cold weather hits as HVAC companies are usually in high demand during this time of the year.
Switch the Direction of Ceiling Fans
Did you know that your ceiling fans run in two directions? During the cooler months, you want to make sure your fans are running clockwise, at a low speed. What happens when you do this is the air is pulled up to the ceiling and then the warm air is forced back down along the edges of the room. This prevents a windchill effect because the air isn’t hitting you directly.
Hang Thermal Curtains
An energy efficient tip I use all year long is using thermal curtains. Thermal curtains work in the fall to keep the cold air out and the warm air in. However, you want to make sure that you open the curtains if the sun is hitting the room you’re in directly. This will naturally warm your room. Thermal curtains also help if you have old windows.
Insulate Older Windows
You can purchase kits for older windows that will help keep the cold air out. The way it works is that you place the plastic around the window and then use a hairdryer to shrink the plastic. To be honest, these can be a pain to put up, but they work in a pinch and will get you through until you can afford to install new windows.
Close Off Vents in Unused Rooms
Another energy efficient tip I use all year long is to close the vents in any rooms we don’t use. There is no sense in heating and cooling these rooms. It only wastes energy. Close the vents and shut the doors. The only exception is unused rooms that have water pipes. You want to make sure those rooms stay warm enough to prevent water pipes from freezing.
Purchase an Infrared Heater
Last, but not least, purchase an infrared heater. This may be my favorite energy efficient tip. Our infrared heater has saved us so much money off the cost of heating oil. These heaters vary in price, depending on how big of an area they can heat. Trust me when I say that these heaters pay for themselves many times over.
If you want your home to be more energy efficient, you need to make changes with the changes of the seasons. You want to make sure your home isn’t losing heat through doors and windows, that you’re not heating areas of your home that you don’t use, and definitely have your furnace serviced to ensure that you’re not paying more than you have to.
Did you enjoy this article? Make sure to check out the article Save Money Instantly with These Tips. You can also find me on YouTube.