brrrrr Its Getting Cold In Here

No matter what I do, my house is perpetually cold during the winter time. I'm sure its worse where you live! This means we're all using more energy to heat our houses which results in higher bills and electricity usage.

To offset the increase in your utility bills and to mitigate the increase in your energy usage, let me offer some tips to keep that home warmer.

First, always check the intake filter for your heater. If you have central heat/AC like me, there is a grate in the ceiling somewhere with a filter in it. That filter gets dirty quick which increases the amount of energy necessary to pull air into the unit. Change that filter (its really cheap) and your heater can work more efficiently.

Second, if you have wood or tile flooring like me, your floors probably absorb cold temperatures. During the winter, put down rugs in places you sit for long periods of time. Put old bed comforters down where your pets congregate so they can keep warm. Don't try to increase the heater temperature to warm the floors because it will probably never reach that far down as heat rises. Buy some cheap slippers too and always wear socks.

Third, shut the blinds on your windows and close the curtains at night so the heat doesn't escape and so the cold doesn't infiltrate. During the winter, its best to block all the windows as much as possible since the sun won't have much effect on heating your home. Caulk around windows and add foam sealers around doors to keep that cold out of your home.

Fourth, nudge your heater down at night and use electric or down blankets instead. Its wasteful to keep the whole house warm when you are only in one place for hours at a time. If there is a room in the house that is rarely used, close the vents in that room so you're not heating it unnecessarily and keep the door closed.

Fifth, install fluorescent lightbulbs and energy efficient lightbulbs that use less electricity so you are cutting back where you can. Make sure to turn lights off when you leave the room and take shorter showers.

I know these aren't revolutionary tips or anything. But I bet that if you do these few things your utility bill will be less and you can sleep sound knowing you are reducing your energy usage!

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