It’s amazing how much you can save with preparing your home for winterization this season. If you haven’t done it already, we recommend you make time for it ASAP! We’ve included some extra tips that you can do on a daily basis that will save you money!
Winterize Your A/C and Water Lines
Make sure you drain any hoses and air conditioner pipes, also make sure you don’t have excess water pooled in the equipment. Some A/C have a “water shutoff valve” if it does, go ahead and turn that off. Remove and store any window A/C units, this will keep the cold drafts out during the winter. Turn off exterior water spigots, and seal any water leaks around the house.
Change Your Furnace Filters
Dirty filters increase energy demand and restrict airflow. Easy way to remind yourself to change your filter… set it on your calendar. It will alert you on your phone or computer and you can stay on top of necessary filter changes.
Be Mindful of Your Thermostat
Did you know that every degree you lower your thermostat during heating season, you would end up saving between 1-3% off your heating bill. Especially living in Utah, where some of our winters can be very cold, this comes in handy for all of us who are trying to save a little money. It can be easy to forget to turn down the thermostat when you leave the house, but being mindful can save you money! Don’t pay for heat that nobody is at home even using.
Put On a Sweater
Simple… yet, effective! This is something we’ve adapted in our own home and it’s really saved us money and also taught us some really good habits. Instead of our first instinct being to crank up the heat, we put on a sweater and start a little fire. Before you know it, we are warm, cozy and have saved some money and energy by those simple steps!
Make Sure Your Home Is Air Sealed Properly
This really isn’t as intimidating as it sounds, but it does take a little work on your end. Take some time to look for drafts and either caulk, use weather stripping or the old fashion draft snake (that was used during the great depression) Here’s a video of how you can make one yourself, or you can roll up a towel and put it by the bottom of the door. There are a lot of cheap options to use during the winter to seal up the home. This will prevent cold air from entering your home, and hot air leaving it. Which means your house will retain a lot more heat and your furnace will run less. Score!