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Trying to reduce your energy costs and at the same time remain comfortable? Please try these helpful hints. - Keep your heating system maintained yearly. According to the EPA, yearly maintained systems use 13% less fuel than those that are not.
- Arrange for automatic delivery to ensure your home always has heating oil.
- Don't block the heating vents or radiators with furniture.
- Add insulation; feel for air leaks around windows, bathtubs, fireplaces, electrical outlets. Caulk leaks.
- Winterize doors, use vinyl-covered foam weather strip to seal up thresholds.
- Keep fireplace damper closed when not in use.
- Install a water-saving showerhead and fix those drips. One drip of hot water per second from a leaky faucet will consume the equivalent of 16 baths per year.
- By consistently reducing your thermostat by just five degrees overnight, you can cut as much as 10% from your fuel bill.
- To maximize your energy savings without sacrificing comfort, install an automatic setback or programmable thermostat.
- Indoors - adhere protective film over window, leaving holes so that you can still open and close the blinds. Secure with double-sided tape.
- Outdoors - install a protective film over the window.
- Replace cracked window panes.
- Re-glaze window glass (glazing is the putty that seals the glass to the frame). You can use a putty knife or glazing gun. Re-glazing stops air infiltration on the sash itself. You can then install a V-strip to stop any air leakage that would go around the sash (window frame) - This also makes the window easier to operate up and down.
- Wood will shrink and cracks will occur as your house gets older. Be sure to inspect at regular intervals for an infiltration.
- Threshold - is there a gap between the threshold and the door? Use a bottom seal that can be attached to the bottom of the door - it should brush up against the floor to seal up the threshold. It virtually stops drafts.
- Glass doors on the fireplace will also provide insulation.
- Caulking is one of the most cost-effective things you can do to weatherize your home.
- You should caulk where 2 different types of materials meet, i.e. where the window frame meets the wall.
- Running half or partially full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine wastes energy. Always run full loads.
- Install fluorescent lighting wherever possible since fluorescent bulbs last 6-10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and can use 50%-80% less energy.
- Windows on the south side of the house get the most sunlight. Eastern windows get sunlight in the morning. West facing windows receive sunlight in the afternoon. Open shades & drapes during the daytime and close them when the sun goes down.
- If you have an older heating system, consider replacing it with an efficient new system. The payback can often be substancial.
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