Well, we’re all reeling from our utility bills. So, what can be done to cut energy costs?
Obviously, the best way to cut your utility bill is to go with a non-utility company source of energy. Solar power can be used to warm your house, while geothermal can be used to cool and heat the home. While these are great choices, there are a few simple steps you can take to cut that monstrous utility bill.
Vent Covers – In most homes, there are rooms that rarely get used. A very simple and very cheap way to cut your heating costs is to isolate those rooms from the rest of your home. To do this, you should close the vents in the room. The vents, however, rarely close well. To make the strategy effective, you should buy vent covers and place them over the vents. The covers are a form of plastic and keep heat from coming out of the vents. Next, close the door to the room in question and leave it. By using this strategy, you can effectively make your home smaller by excluding the square footage that has to be heated. The smaller the area, the small the amount of money to heat the home.
Windows – Windows are the single biggest energy wasters in your home. Your windows must seal tightly. If they don’t, heat will escape out of them causing your heater to fire up over and over. If you make sure your window fit tightly into the frame when closed, you can significant cut the utility bill. It sounds like a small thing, but it really ads up.
Programmable Thermostat – Heating your home accounts for fifty percent of your utility bill. While a warm home is necessary for basic living in the winter, the home doesn’t need to be heated all of the time. If there are periods during the day where nobody is home because of work or school, a programmable thermostat can be used to slash your heating costs. Simply program the thermostat to turn off during the relevant time and turn back on before anyone gets home. Cutting four to eight hours off of your heating needs each day will add up quickly on your utility bill.
If your utility bills are completely out of control, there is something fundamentally wrong with your home. You need to go ahead and get an Energy Audit. An auditor will come out and inspect your home. They can then identify the problem, what should be done and provide other tips to slash your bill. Depending on how bad your situation is, an energy audit can cut your utility bill by 50 percent or more.
Power costs are high and expected to continue to increase for the foreseeable future. Take steps to cut your utility bill now and you’ll reap the benefits for years.
Rick Chapo is with www.solarcompanies.com – a directory of solar energy and solar power companies. Visit www.solarcompanies.com/articles to read more solar electricity articles.
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