With the weather as cold as it’s been in the first weeks of December, even people with a green built home are probably wondering what to expect with this month’s energy bills. Homes that are built to green specifications still require a combination of maintenance and common sense to maximize energy savings. A recent post on the
Equifax Personal Finance blog offers ideas that may help.
Real estate expert Ilyce Glink wrote the article, entitled “
Cut Your Energy Bills Without Cutting Comfort.” Of course, the most obvious recommendation is to turn down the thermostat, yielding a potential savings of 10 percent for every two degrees you lower the temperature in your home this winter.
Another commonsense, but often forgotten, solution is to close the chimney flue when you’re not burning a fire to keep your warm air from escaping.
As part of your green built home’s regular maintenance, you should invest in some inexpensive caulking and weather stripping and use them to seal gaps that may have developed around your doors and windows. This will keep the warm air in and the cold air outside where it belongs.
If you’re still in the process of greening your home, then investments such as added insulation – perhaps blown into the walls – and new energy efficient windows can result in significant energy savings. If you invest a lot of cash, then you’ll want to check out another post on the
Equifax Personal Finance blog, too – one that talks about the
tax savings you could enjoy this spring. Now there’s a thought that will keep you warm!
