Winter can bring with it higher energy bills, but not necessarily. There are many easy ways to reduce energy consumption during the winter months. Here are just a handful of energy saving tips for you to apply:

• Take steps to prepare your home for winter. Check for gaps and cracks in caulking and weatherstripping, and replace as needed. Use drapes and curtains to keep warm air inside, but open your south-facing draperies during the day to let the sun provide warmth. Cover the insides of drafty windows with clear, heavy-duty plastic.
• Check for and seal air leaks in common places such as window frames, door frames, electrical sockets and switch plates.
• Lower your thermostat 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours at a time. This can save up to 10 percent on your energy bill. Consider using a programmable thermostat in order to automatically adjust the temperature while the house is empty or while you’re sleeping to reduce energy costs painlessly.
• Maintain your HVAC system. Schedule regular servicing to ensure that it’s operating at its most efficient. Replace your furnace filter once a month, or as needed.
• Keep the damper closed, if you have a fireplace, whenever there’s no fire burning. Check the damper’s seal to make sure that it’s snug. If the fireplace is never used, plug and seal the chimney flue. If it is used, install tempered glass doors and a heat exchange system which blows warm air into the room. Add caulking around the hearth.
• Reduce energy spent heating water by setting the water heater’s temperature to 120 degrees. The cost of heating water in your home can account for up to 25 percent of the total energy costs.

Contact Powers Heating and Air for help with any questions you have about how you can reduce energy costs in your Peachtree City home this winter season and all year long.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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