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Hold on to Your Heating Bills
Survive Rising Energy Costs By Sue Marquette Poremba
Since in the winter most of us leave the house while it is still dark, we might forget the sun will shine later in the day. Opening the blinds and curtains, especially on the south side of the house, naturally heats rooms.
Change furnace filters. According to Gale Tedhams, product manager at Owens Corning, replacing filters and cleaning air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators can provide energy savings up to 10 percent.
Turn on the humidifier. Tedhams also says that by increasing the humidity in your living space, the additional moisture will increase the heat index inside your home, making 68 degrees F feel more like 76 degrees F. "Make sure that the relative humidity in the home is between 20 to 40 percent," she says. "As the outside temperature falls, lower the percentage to prevent condensation from forming on windows."
Use kitchen and bathroom vents sparingly. According to the Kansas State Extension Office, "vents are designed to remove moisture from the interior of the home, but may also remove warm air and increase overall energy costs. Indoor air tends to be dry during winter months. Consider excessive condensation on windows as a signal to use the vent."
Exercise. "Dancing is always excellent to keep warm, as is exercising to an exercise DVD," says Pamelyn Casto of de Cordova Bend, Texas. "Both work up a nice warmth in the winter."
Keep pretty throws around. Casto says she has one in just about every room. "Great for snuggling up in and reading," she says.
Pull out the rake. "I borrowed an old trick from my parents and placed plastic bags of leaves raked up from the yard around the base of the house on theside exposed to the prevailing winter winds," says Liz Bennefeld from Fargo, N.D. "Once the bags get covered with sleet and then snow, they will stay put and provide good insulation of the concrete and cover the area up to the siding."