Hey guys, Jamin here again looking to finish up what we started yesterday by bringing you 5 more easy tips to winterize your home and save a little cash. So without further ado…
1. Insulate your water heater.
This is something most people never give much thought to, but if you are going to insulate your pipes as we talked about in yesterday’s post, taking it one step further will save you even more money.
Unless your water heater already has a high R-value of insulation (recommended R-24), it is estimated that adding insulation can possibly reduce heat loss from the tank by up to 45%. In most cases this will save you around 4%–9% in water heating costs.
You can insulate your tank for $15-$30 with very little effort or time. This simple step will pay for itself.
2. Check the insulation in the attic. It is the easiest place to add some and can save you a bunch of money. While this might be the most expensive thing we talk about, it really can make a difference. We experienced it first hand in our veranda. When we converted it from a back porch to an indoor space by building that wall, the insulation over the ceiling was not sufficient and the variation between the temperature in that room and the rest of the house was major. Once I added a little insulation the veranda leveled out with the rest of the house and we had a consistent temperature throughout our home.
The Home Depot has a great resource for understanding insulation a little more. You can check it out here. They can help you figure out what R-value you need for your region and the best type of installation.
3. Change your light bulbs. Seriously, if you are not using CFL bulbs walk a way from the computer, drive to Home Depot, buy some and install them throughout the house. We know a lot of people are a bit anti, but be sure to check out the warm tones they are available in now, if you’re not a big fan of those ‘florescent’ tones.
These little guys use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than traditional bulbs. From the minute you turn a light on you just cut your cost by 75%. If you have kids this should be first on your list because your little boogers are probably like ours and think the light switch only goes one way, “ON”.
4. Invest in a programmable thermostat. Not only are these guys a lot of fun, but they will save you a good deal of money, more than you will spend on one.
The biggest benefit of these is control of the thermostat when you are away from home as well as sleeping. If no one is home during the day you can save heating the house, by turning it off and then remotely turning it back on an hour before you return home. You can even save money while you sleep. Simply program the device to turn off at bedtime and turn back on an hour before the alarm goes off. Grab a few extra blankets for the bed, snuggle up and save while you sleep.
You can read even more about the benefits of one of these little guys in our previous post.
5. Don’t heat areas you are not using. If you have some space that is not used daily or at night, close it off. Shut the door and close the vent. Why waste money heating a room that is only used on the weekends or at night? By closing off the space you reduce the amount of area that is being heated and thus reduce your energy bill.
We hope these 10 easy energy saving ideas we’ve talked about this weekend will help you put a little more cash back into the bank and live a little warmer this winter. Stay safe, warm, and have an inspired day, everyone!
This post was brought to you in partnership with The Home Depot. Read our disclosure, here.
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
Another great post! We also just added insulation to the ceiling in our unfinished basement. It was just open. Now that we have insulation our bedrooms above are so much warmer – and quieter!
thefolia says
Be careful if the CFL bulbs break they are toxic. You are suppose to open the window and leave the room if the bulbs breaks. I always place in zip lock bag before disposal.
Eli Menendez says
Insulation is SUCH a huge energy waster when people don’t bother to make sure its good. So many people just assume its fine, and when its checked it is in terrible condition.
Charron Ann says
The most common place to do this is small bathrooms or walk in closets. I find it funny that my closets have their own air vent.. đ