The extreme temperatures of summer or winter can be daunting for homeowners because they tend to bring higher energy bills. Sure, winter weather in New Hampshire is cold and snowy, but your heating bills don’t have to freeze your heart! Here are the best winter energy-saving tips in NH so you can stay cozy and save money big time.
The 5 Best Winter Energy Saving Tips in NH
Since we in New Hampshire experience cold and long winters, it’s crucial to make sure we aren’t breaking the bank with our heating appliances. These are the 5 main steps to follow to ensure better energy efficiency in your household each winter.
- Know how to properly set your thermostat
- Pick energy-efficient appliances
- Know the best practices for saving energy
- Don’t let your home leak energy
- Maintain your heating appliances properly
1. Properly Set Your Thermostat
A great way to save energy in the winter is by knowing the proper setting for your thermostat and knowing when it’s time to turn it down. The ideal temperature to put in your thermostat when you are home in winter is 68 degrees.
Additionally, turning down your thermostat at the appropriate times is a great way to save energy. If you turn it down by 10 degrees at night, you can save as much as 10% on your heating costs. If your home is unoccupied for 8 hours a day because of work or school, use that to your advantage! If you turn down the thermostat by 10 degrees during those 8 hours, you can save yet another 10% on your energy bills year round. Instilling that as a daily habit can be great for energy savings.
If all this sounds a bit too complicated for you, consider investing in a smart thermostat. With functions like timers and sensors, these thermostats can optimize the most energy-efficient temperature in your home without you having to lift a finger. This can result in even more savings for you!
2. Pick Energy-Efficient Appliances
ENERGY STAR is a great resource for finding the best energy efficient appliances. Their product finder can help you find the heating units that will meet your energy saving goals. On top of this, LED lightbulbs can help you save energy as well. And no, energy efficient bulbs do not have to bring cold, ugly light into your house. You can achieve a warm glow with the multiple color temperatures LEDs can come in. Beautiful lighting AND energy savings help make winter fun!
3. Know The Best Practices for Saving Energy
Among the best winter energy saving tips is knowing the best habits you should have when it comes to energy in your home. While you use technology and gadgets, consider putting them on an energy saver mode, if they have one. Do some research to find out what this mode is called on your specific device. For example, this setting could be called “Low Power Mode”.
Beware of energy vampires in your house. These will suck up extra energy, even when they’re not in use. Always unplug appliances you are not using, and consider using a power strip to make this a simpler process (simply unplugging the power strip from the wall).
A couple of other tips include the temperature of water. Using cold water on your laundry can help you save money, and so can slightly turning down the temperature of your water heater. Taking it down to 120 (instead of 140) can save as much as $400 a year with a negligible difference in comfort.
4. Don’t Let Your Home Leak Energy
Did you know your home has little gaps that are allowing air to leak out? These are most commonly found around your doors and windows, which leak up to 33% of the average home’s heat. It’s not just windows and doors that you should seal properly. Additionally, you should be mindful of baseboards, outlets, and hatches.
Grab some caulk, find those gaps, and seal them up! It could save you 10-20% on your cooling and heating bills each year. Another way to prevent air leaks is by weather stripping your windows and/or doors. There are plenty of different weather stripping materials, from vinyl to metal to felt. Applying weather stripping to your windows can save you 5-10% on your bills each year. If you apply it to your doors as well, you can save even more!
Besides rolling up your sleeves and getting to work on your house, there are some quicker and simpler tricks that can help prevent heat loss from your home. One of these is closing the curtains. This can help you avoid losing up to 10% of a room’s heat. You can bump this number up to 25% by fixing your curtains right up against the window. Conversely, you should open your windows if the sun is shining. You’ll get more heat in by allowing the sun’s rays to do their job. In darker rooms, on gloomy days, or at night, keep them closed.
5. Maintain Your Heating Appliances Properly
This is one of the best winter energy saving tips in NH. To maintain your heating appliances, be sure to keep them clean. The best way to do this is by checking and replacing your filter frequently. If your filter is dirty, it will cause your furnace to work harder (not to mention negatively impact your indoor air quality). Make sure you know the requirements for your specific model and whether you can simply clean the filter or need to replace it entirely.
The Best Step You Can Take for Heating System Efficiency
Maintaining your heating system is one of the best ways to ensure that it’s energy efficient and saving you money each month. HVAC professionals recommend you get yearly checkups for your heating system so it stays in great shape for a long time, also saving you money on repairs and new unit installations. Having a professional check on your system can prevent issues before they happen, so never wait to do so!
Live Free Heating Cooling Electric provides the New Hampshire area with top-tier 15-point maintenance checks on both heating and cooling appliances. Contact us today for a free estimate (terms apply) on your service!