WINTER TIPS

Tip #1

If you don’t have a heat pump, set your thermostat setting on 68º in the winter. Also set your thermostat 5° to 10º lower during sleeping hours or if you’ll be gone for more than four hours. With each degree you lower your thermostat, you can reduce your heating cost by about 5 percent.

If you do have a heat pump and want to "set your thermostat back," it’s best to equip your system with a programmable thermostat, preferably one having intelligent recovery to maximize savings and comfort.

Tip #2

On sunny winter days, let the sun help warm your house by opening your shades and drapes, especially on windows that face east, west or south. Window curtains facing north should be kept shut. At night or on cloudy days, keep all curtains and shades closed. This will help keep heat from escaping.

Tip #3

Use your range exhaust fan as little as possible during the winter if it is vented to the outdoors. The fan not only removes cooking odors, but a lot of your home’s heat as well.

Tip #4

Remember that when you build a fire it needs lots of air to burn. In fact, it can draw much of the heated air in your home right up the chimney. To counteract this, turn your central heat down and slightly open the window closest to the fireplace to provide air for the fire.

Tip #5

Ceiling fans generate air movement (wind chill factor), which makes people naturally feel cooler. In the wintertime, this chill factor usually negates the effect of any warm air redistribution. However, in rooms with particularly hot spots (like rooms with a wood stove) reversible ceiling fans can help circulate the warmer air.

Tip #6

Adjust your heating registers so that the hot air flows down across the floor. Remember, warm air rises.

Tip #7

To help insulate a particularly cold wall, cover it with an old blanket or wall-hanging made from fabric scraps.