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Warm up to Mother Nature
Conserve Energy and Save on Your Heating Bill
By April E. Clark
"We usually keep the thermostat set at around 70 degrees to no higher than 72 degrees in the winter," says Jane Boone, a mother of three girls from Branson, Mo. "It's harder on a system and uses more energy to change the setting up and down. It's tempting to turn up the heat when we're really cold, but we're better off energy-wise to set it at one temp and leave it."
NATE advises consumers to clean furnace areas, ensure all vents and returns are not obstructed by furniture or carpet and install a humidifier, which can make a home feel 5 degrees warmer. Along with humidifiers, wood-burning stoves are also energy-efficient appliances that can help cut heating costs.
"Our wood stove is really nice because it puts out a lot of heat in the really cold months, and we keep it burning 24/7," Boone says. "We prefer it to an open fireplace, which can pull the air from inside the house to keep the fire burning. I've found that with a fireplace, compared to a wood stove, some of the rooms that are more distant from the room where the fireplace is located can get cold."
Not only is heat source locale inside a home important to energy efficiency, but geographical orientation outdoors is also key to preserving resources and saving money. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that "a well-oriented and well-designed home admits low-angle winte sun, rejects overhead summer sun and minimizes the cooling effect of winter winds."