The Home Depot has shared these tips for keeping your home warm this winter while saving money.
1. Regularly maintain your furnace and water heater. Regular maintenance on your furnace and water heater will increase energy efficiency in your home. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings, you can cut your energy use for heating and cooling, and reduce environmental emissions, from 20 percent to 50 percent. Regular maintenance will help make these investments in your home last longer and be more energy efficient. Here’s a step-by-step video on how to Replace a Filter for a Forced Air Heating System.
2. Install a programmable thermostat. You can save up to $180 a year by installing a programmable thermostat that controls the temperature of your home while you’re at work or asleep.
3. Seal your home from heat and cold. Allowing air to escape through gaps and cracks is like throwing your money away. By sealing your home like caulk, sealant and weather-stripping, you can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs. To see how to weatherstrip, click here.
4. Install insulation. According to the Department of Energy, the leading cause of energy waste in the home is inadequate insulation and air leakage. Homeowners typically can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 20 percent by sealing their homes and adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces and accessible basement rim joists.
Credit: The Home Depot
