Winter has finally arrived in the central valley. Here are a few tips to trim your energy costs
this season:
- 1. Drop your thermostat to 68. "The rule of thumb is that you can save about 3% on your heating bill for every degree that you set back your thermostat" full time, says Bill Prindle, deputy director for the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Turn down the thermostat 10 degrees when you go to work, and again when you go to bed -- a total of 16 hours a day -- and you can save about 14% on your heating bill, says Prindle.
- 2. Use exhaust fans sparingly. Surprisingly your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans can pull heat from your home. In fact, according to the Department of Energy, an efficient exhaust fan can pull the warmth from a house in about an hour.
- 3. Lower your water heater temp. Even just one notch can make a difference in the energy used to heat the water inside. An efficient setting is 120 degrees.
- 4. Reduce your hot water use. Showers typically use less hot water than baths and use cold water to wash clothing.
- 5. Use solar heating. Don’t have solar panels? Not to worry. Just open all of the drapes on your south facing windows. Allowing the sunshine to warm your home during the day will lower your heating use.
- 6. If you have a fireplace, close the damper. An open damper will allow heat to leave during the day and will allow cold in at night. Make sure it is closed when your fireplace is not in use.
Saving money is always in style.
Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!
Athena Barnhart
VP Operations
Mission Real Estate & Property Management, Inc.
www.missionre.com
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