Comprehensive Tips and Tricks to Save Even More on Your Energy Bill

One of the first things you learn as a homeowner is that saving money at every corner is integral. And one of the easiest and fastest ways you can save money is by becoming more energy-conscious, and reaping the benefits of lower energy bills.

There are many ways that you can reduce energy use in your home, and today we’re going to tell you about three highly effective things you can do right now to cut your bills.

Don’t Let the Weather Outside Affect Your Indoor Climate

Most people have drapes or curtains covering their windows to keep out peering eyes and some light, but why not go a step further and invest in drapery that can actually make your house more efficient and comfortable, and reduce your energy bills at the same time?

There are special energy-efficient curtains available that are specially designed to keep out the cold in winter and the sun in summer. This means your furnace and air conditioner won’t have to work as hard, and that will translate to energy and money savings. Here are some quick tips for using these drapes:

• Keep the curtains open in the winter if the sun is shining on the window
• Chose a curtain with a light-colored backing that will reflect sunlight in the hot summer
• Keep the curtains closed in the summer when the sun is shining on the window, and closed in winter when the sun isn’t shining
• Install floor-length curtains to reduce the amount of cold or heat seeping in
• Seal the curtains against the wall with magnetic tape to prevent heat and cold from coming in or escaping

Don’t Let Precious Air Escape

Duct leaks can contribute to a great deal of energy-inefficiency in your Anoka, MN home, because holes, cracks, and poorly sealed joints can mean 20 to 30 percent of the air blowing through your ducts escapes.

Worse yet, the result of this is a less efficient home, a furnace and air conditioner that have to work harder to keep your home comfortable, and higher energy bills.

Duct insulation and sealing is the best way to remedy this problem, and you can either do it on your own with metal tape, or with the help of a professional duct services.

Don’t Waste Energy When You’re Not Home

What do you think is an ideal temperature for your house? While everybody will have a different answer, the experts agree that 78 F in summer and 68 F in winter is the ideal temperature for both comfort and energy savings. But what about when you’re not home, or at night when everybody is asleep—should your air conditioner or furnace continue working just as hard?

This is where programmable thermostats can help, and they can even help you reduce your energy use by 30 percent. Instead of leaving the furnace or air conditioner running as usual during the day when nobody is home and at night when you’re all asleep, you can program the thermostat so the temperature is hotter than 78 in summer and cooler than 68 in winter.

Saving money is always a top priority for homeowners, and sometimes the simplest things you can do to cut costs are also the most effective. When it comes to reducing energy use and cutting your bills, energy-efficient drapes, duct sealing, and programmable thermostats are among the simplest, cheapest, and best ways you can make sure more money stays in your pocket where it belongs.