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A few other ways to save include making sure
your fireplace damper is closed when not in use, closing vents in unused rooms
and turning the switch on ceiling fans (if you've got them) to "reverse" to help
push warm air down from the ceiling. If you've got a fireplace with a wire mesh
screen, consider replacing the screen with glass doors, which are better at preventing
heat loss.
Don't forget your water heater, either. Nearly 15
percent of an average home energy bill goes to heating water. The
Alliance to Save Energy recommends wrapping your water heater in
an insulation blanket to help reduce heat loss. Most hot water tank
insulation blankets cost no more than $20.
It also suggests keeping your water temperature around
120 degrees and installing inexpensive low-flow shower heads to
reduce hot water use.
Finally, the DOE notes dirt and neglect are the most
common causes of system failure among home heating appliances. If
you haven't done so already, get a checkup of your heating system
to make sure it's performing efficiently and safely. Also, replace
furnace filters at least every six months, or as often as your system's
manual recommends.
"Energy
conservation is all about what you want to put into it," says Jonathan Shradar,
a DOE spokesman. "You can do things that are easy and affordable or make more
expensive upgrades that are more effective, but whatever steps you take will deliver
a benefit in the end." Long-term solutions
Indeed, quick-fix strategies to keep Jack Frost at bay are only
half the equation. No matter what your thermostat setting, you'll
continue paying more than you should to heat your home if your doors,
windows and appliances aren't energy-efficient.
Though it requires a sizable upfront investment, replacing
old windows and doors with newer, more efficient models can pay
off down the road.
Consumers who replace single-pane windows with Energy
Star-qualified windows can save from $110 to $400 per year. The
Energy Star label was created by the EPA and DOE to help consumers
identify the most energy-efficient products on the market.
It may also help to hear that new
windows yield among the highest returns on investment of all home improvement
jobs.
Nationally, it costs the average homeowner roughly
$11,000 to install wood replacement windows and roughly $10,000
for vinyl replacement windows, according to Remodeling magazine's
2006 Cost vs. Value report. Homeowners recover roughly 85 percent
of that cost on the resale market, the survey found.
"We
know new windows aren't in everyone's budget, but if you're going to replace them
anyway, you should definitely invest in those with an Energy Star label," says
Kweller. "You'll save more money in the long run and your home will be more comfortable."
If your budget won't allow for a total replacement,
you can also place inexpensive, but effective, plastic sheets over
the windows to seal out weather conditions.
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