Now that the days are growing shorter and the temperatures are dropping, you’re probably looking forward to the many comforts winter has to offer—holidays with friends and family, hearty meals, and cozy evenings inside a warm house.
Light Your House Longer, For Less:
Early sunsets and cold temps drive most of us indoors for longer periods of time during winter. The obvious result is that we use more energy lighting our home—which is why we’re starting off our list with one of the easiest, most cost-effective innovations in recent history: the LED light bulb. Don’t believe us? Here’s what the US Department of Energy says about them:
“The hard truth is that, while energy efficiency in your home is important, the most effective way to save energy is to use less of it to begin with. In other words, cut back.”
Energy-Efficiency Myths to Avoid:
As with anything, when it comes to energy efficiency there is a lot of misinformation out there. You can save yourself time, money, and frustration by avoiding the myths we’ve debunked for you here:
- DON’T section off your house by closing air register vents: Doing so increases pressure inside your duct system, which causes your furnace blower to work harder to move air, thereby using up larger amounts of energy—the stuff you’re trying to save. The added pressure can also cause existing duct leaks to worsen, wasting even more energy.
- DON’T set the thermostat higher to heat your home faster: Your heat system raises the temperature of your home at the same rate, no matter what. This practice only increases the chance that you will waste energy overheating your house.
