Stay Warm and Still Be Green This Winter
Friday, November 28, 2014
MADISON, Wis. – Regardless of whether it's a long, cold winter or a shorter, less brutal winter, there are plenty of ways for Wisconsinites to stay warm and still be conscientious about saving energy.
Matt Landi, science and policy associate with the advocacy group Clean Wisconsin, points out that warm air is always looking for an escape route from your home, and up to 25 percent of your home's heat sneaks out through small cracks, crevices and openings all around your home.
Locking and weather-stripping your windows and doors can save heat and money. Another tip is to let the sun shine in during the day.
"The natural sunlight can actually increase the temperature pretty significantly during the day and can also allow for a source of natural light instead of relying on electricity for reading light or light during the day," Landi points out.
Landi also suggests making sure that when your fireplace is not in use that you keep the damper closed to keep the warm air from escaping.
Dirty furnace filters minimize the efficiency of your furnace, and replacing the filter regularly is cheap and easy.
Landi says having your furnace clean and tuned up can save up to five percent on your heating bill.
There are plenty of other little things that can add up to saving money and resources.
That little switch on your ceiling fan that reverses the fan's rotation could save as much 15 percent on energy costs. Set your ceiling fans to rotate clockwise in the winter.
Landi also has another tip.
"A lot of people have a programmable thermostat in their home and a lot of people don't know how to use them as efficiently as they could,” he says. “Programmable thermostats allow you to reduce your heat when you're not at home and when you're sleeping."
Landi says it doesn't take any special skills or knowledge to use any of these tips.
"Things that homeowners can easily do or apartment dwellers can easily do themselves – they don't need to hire any professionals or spend exorbitant amounts of money in investing in energy efficiency or anything like that,” he says. “These are pretty simple, easy methods that people can readily do on their own."
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