The last few months of any given year, everyone’s electric bills seem to go through the roof. Sure, we can blame the hundreds of twinkling lights that may don our yards or the fact that we have guests constantly circulating through the house. Even with these extra burdens, there are ways to cut your energy costs while still decorating your home with enough lights to land an airplane.

First, pay attention to your HVAC unit and give it a little TLC. Make sure your filters are clean and change them out monthly to keep your system running efficiently. Also, have a service company come out and tune up your unit before the bitter cold hits. A huge money saver is a programmable thermostat. These units are easy to install and can save you big bucks. Why do you need to heat your house for the 8 hours a day you aren’t home? With a programmable thermostat, you can lower the temperature of your house while you are gone and have the heat kick back in just before you get home.

Another area to pay attention to is air leaks both with your windows and your roof. Use weather stripping or caulk around doors and windows to make sure you aren’t losing your precious heat to the outdoors. If you have older windows, a good idea is to put up clear plastic film over your windows to help keep the warm air in and the cold air out. Also, make sure the windows in your home that let in the most sunlight are clean. Sunlight, even in the winter, can help warm up a room. Remember to check your attic or crawl spaces as well for proper insulation. You should have at least 11 inches of insulation for your roof. An amazing amount of heat is lost through improperly insulated roofs.

Insulation is also a great idea on your hot water pipes. Turn down the temperature on your hot water heater to 115 or 120 degrees. This will still give you water that is plenty hot and will dramatically cut your heating costs. If you have an older hot water tank, you might also consider a wrap for the tank. This is especially important if your hot water heater is kept in a poorly insulated room. If you are planning on going away for a few days, turn down the temperature. Keeping the water running at about 100 degrees will keep the pipes warm enough but won’t use as much energy to keep it there.

With all of the lights going on and off during the holidays, replace your standard light bulbs with CFL’s and place any temporary lights on timers. This way, you can light up the neighborhood for a couple hours into the night and have them turn off before the sun comes up. This allows you and your neighbors to enjoy the sight without putting a hurting on your wallet. Also, unplug any appliances when they aren’t in use. You would be surprised how much energy appliances still pull when they are just plugged in. Some homeowners could cut their electric bill by 5%!

There are already so many more expenses during these final months of the year and you don’t want your home sucking the last few dollars out of your wallet. With a little bit of preparation ahead of time and some mindful thinking, you might get a nice holiday surprise in the mail when your electric bill comes. Who knows, maybe it will save you enough money to buy that new flatscreen TV you’ve been wanting – just remember to unplug it after you’re done watching!

Author Bio: Keith Smallwood is the president of Creative Energy Exteriors, a leading Richmond, Virginia home improvement company offering services and products such as Richmond replacement windows and Richmond siding installation. Creative Energy Exteriors can be found online at: CreativeEnergyExteriors.com .

Category: Home Management
Keywords: energy costs,cut energy costs, ,hot water heater,hot water, insulation