Different Ways to Conserve Energy During the Cold Winter Months

Homeowners are always trying to cut costs because homeownership is expensive. Winter can be one of the most expensive months because of the high costs of heating systems, especially here in St Michael, MN. Before the winter chill settles in a few weeks, take some time today to make your home airtight and energy efficient.

In addition to making your home airtight, some other ways to conserve energy include putting in a tankless water heater, taking showers not baths and upgrading to a high-efficiency furnace.

Ceiling Fan in the Winter too

You probably run your ceiling fan in the summer to keep cool, but did you know that you can run your ceiling fan in the winter to stay warm?

Leveraging the movement of the fan blades, along with the rising hot air, lets you turn the furnace down, but keep the room comfortably warm. The blades create a downdraft, pushing warm air back down into the room.

The key is that you have to reverse the fan’s direction. In the summer, you typically run it counter clockwise. To help with heating, you need to run it clockwise.

The fan should be equipped with a reverse switch. The only exception to this is if you’ve got high vaulted ceiling or cathedral ceilings. They are too tall to have the same impact so that you can leave it on counterclockwise.

Caulking to Save Money

Touching up the caulking on your windows tightens seals around windows and helps to reduce heat loss out of gaps.

Fully inspect all the windows. Similarly, check out your doors to identify if there are any gaps between the doors and the door frames.

Fill those in with weather-stripping. A gap doesn’t have to be very large for a significant amount of warm air to escape. In terms of cost-effective actions that you can take to conserve energy and stay warm, caulking and weather-stripping are near the top of the list.

Insulating Your Windows

Your windows are filled with tiny pores, which make them primed for heat loss. You need to block the air from going outside. A great way to do that is to hang window film right on the panes themselves. This is an easy DIY job.

Tape the film to the frame and then mold in place using heat (i.e. a hairdryer). For extra window insulation, hang insulating drapes. Keep them closed at night and let the sunshine in during the day.