As we enter into the coldest part of the year, you may notice that parts of your home are feeling chilly. Or perhaps you dread entering some rooms in the summer’s heat and humidity because they are as uncomfortable as the outside is. There are many steps you can take to make you home more comfortable and to save energy.
If you have an attached garage, keep the garage door closed when not in use, particularly when it is very cold or hot. Think of your garage as a down jacket trapping air between the outside and the house, meaning your HVAC system does not need to use as much energy to keep the appropriate temperature inside.
In the heat of summer, closing blinds or shades where the sun is coming in, particularly on the south and west sides of the home can prevent up to 33% of the heat from entering, so air conditioning or fans use less energy. For winter, allow the sun to warm rooms, but close the blinds or curtains at night to minimize the cold. Installing high-efficiency cellular shades can cut up to 25% on temperature control costs. If you have a ceiling fan, make sure it is spinning clockwise in the winter to move the heat at the ceiling down. In the summer it should rotate counterclockwise to push warm air up towards the ceiling.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in 2024, installing programmable or smart thermostats can lower your heating and cooling bills by 8%. Lowering your water heater to 120° can also save energy. Wrapping your water heater in an insulating jacket can save anywhere from 7-16% on your electric bill.
In the winter, after using your oven, turn it off, but leave the door open a bit and allow the oven’s heat to warm your kitchen for you. If you use a fireplace, make sure to close the damper in between fires to prevent warm air from flowing up your chimney or humidity from coming down. If you never use your fireplace, consider a fireplace plug, which eliminates the air transfer in your chimney between your home and the outside.
Eversource customers can schedule a visit at Home Energy Solutions (other electric companies offer similar programs). A technician will come to your home to check its energy efficiency looking at things like windows, doors, and insulation, and make recommendations on improving your home’s energy efficiency, as well as possible rebates and coupons. Visiting the Save Money & Energy tab of the Eversource website gives a tremendous amount of information on saving energy in various rooms and during various seasons for both home owners and renters.
By making some changes in your home to save energy, you will not only make your home more comfortable, but you will also ultimately save money. And by using less energy in your home, you will actually be helping the save the Earth’s resources, which will make Mother Nature very happy.
