No-cost energy savings

• Remove window a/c units
• Be sure to shut the chimney flue
• Close doors to unheated rooms
• Use direct sunlight to heat rooms
• Close curtains or shades at night
• Install storm windows if you have them
• Clean your furnace air filter
• Lower your thermostat to 68 degrees
• Set hot water temperature to 120 degrees
• Wash clothes in cold water

Plug air leaks and stop wasting energy

Air leaks rob your home of energy, but you can test for air leaks yourself.  Carefully use a lit candle - you'll be watching for smoke that drifts sideways instead of straight up.  Using the candle, check your walls for gaps alongside windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, heating and ventilation ducts, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches - wherever air might escape.

Stop air leaks with expanding foam for larger holes and caulking for small cracks.

Low-cost energy savings

• Use foil-backed foam board, expanding foam, caulking and weather stripping for air leaks
• Replace your furnace air filter once a month
• Tape heavy-duty plastic sheeting across single pane window frames
• Install gaskets behind outlet covers
• Install a programmable thermostat

Heating a home takes up 30% of the energy bill.  Close heating vents and doors to the rooms you are not using.  Heat only the rooms you do use in your home.

Keep your energy system in peak condition using clean air filters and ducts.  It uses more energy to push heated air through dirty elements.  Clean or change out your furnace air filters.