Making the Most of Your Electric Use This Fall!
Oct 16, 2017
The fall months are favorites for many people. Hot drinks, rich autumn colors, and fall fashion are all good reasons. However, as cooler temperatures approach, it’s also the time when we begin to crank up our thermostats and drive up energy costs.
There are quite a few ways to save energy, and many of them are easier during the fall months because the weather is more mild than winter. Follow these energy saving tips below and resist the urge to turn on your space heaters and central heating system.
- The first step to energy-saving this fall is to ditch the space heaters, which use more energy than you’d expect! They can easily be replaced with a warm set of pajamas and a pair of house slippers. Whether you’re doing chores around the house or working at an in-home office, it’s better to bundle up than throw money into your space heaters.
- It’s also important to remember that not all the rooms in your house need to be heated. Close off heat vents in unused rooms, and only use heaters in the rooms that you or family members are occupying. People also produce a large amount of heat, so don’t be afraid to invite the family into the living room and turn down the thermostat. Along with having family time, you can stay close for warmth and avoid heating several rooms at once.
- Use your programmable thermostat! Setting different temperatures for different parts of the day can save you energy use, and the thermostat will remember even if you don’t. Set it low or turn it off when you’re out of the house, especially during the day. Sunlight can warm your house for you, and you can program it to turn on and begin heating the house fifteen to twenty minutes before you get home.
- It’s common knowledge that you should turn your thermostat down when you go to sleep, since blankets and warm pajamas make up for the lost heat. However, many people cave and turn it back up once they wake up. If you’re leaving for work or school, just get dressed quickly and avoid touching your thermostat. Warming the house when you’re just about to leave in fifteen to thirty minutes is pointless. For lazy mornings or weekends, just stay under the covers for a while longer and avoid flicking on the space heaters while you relax.
Using these tips can help you stay cozy throughout the fall without breaking the bank!
Source: https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/energy_savers.pdf
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