Five Ways to Lower Your Energy Bills

1. Is Your Chimney Flue Open?

While it may seem obvious, people often forget to check this after a cold winter. An open chimney flue can cause a large amount of unwanted outdoor air to enter into your home. By keeping your flue closed, you can reduce your energy consumption by up to 30%. Of course, during winter months, be sure that there are no embers in your fireplace first.

During the summer, using the stove, oven, and dryer can drastically raise the temperature of your home. In the winter, however, the ambient heat from appliances is a welcome bonus .During the hot summer months, we suggest utilizing the outdoor grill instead of your stove or oven. If you can, opt for hanging your clothes to dry on a line outside instead of using your dryer all the time, even better. These small steps can help control the temperature of your home while decreasing your energy usage.

3. Does your home have ceiling fans?

Turning on your ceiling fans is a quick way to make a room feel 10 degrees cooler. They also use only about 10 percent of the energy a central air conditioning system uses and an even bigger savings if you’re still using window air conditioning units. In the summer, make sure your fans are rotating counterclockwise, to ensure the cool air is being pushed downward. Likewise, in the winter make sure your fan turns clockwise to draw warm air down.

4. Are your curtains drawn?

Take a look at the windows in your rooms. Drawing the curtains and blinds can help keep out up to 76% of the sunlight during the hot summer months. In the winter, opening the blinds in the morning allows the sun to heat your home through the day, especially the rooms that receive direct sunlight.

Taking the time to check your thermostat can help conserve your energy bill. For every degree your system is adjusted, you can save 1% of energy per every eight hours.

By making seasonal adjustments to your energy spending habits, you can increase the comfort of your home while decreasing your energy bills.

For more suggestions on how to lower your energy costs, especially as we head into winter, check out our previous blog, Insider Hacks to Lowering Energy Costs This Winter.