Heating (and Cooling) Tips & Tricks

Winter and Summer are the most prevalent and lengthy times of year and they are also a huge strain on most Americans wallets. Heating and cooling your home costs more than any other system in your home, on average 43% of your utility bill is devoted to heating and cooling which adds up. Some studies show that the United States alone emits 150 million tons of carbon dioxide a year and that is all from our heating and cooling systems!

There are a lot of products on the market that are marketed as "energy efficient" and we are not debating their claims, but we believe that "whole house" approach will be more beneficial for your budget and the environment!

We all know some tricks to help out, but we decided to give you a list of ways to heat and cool your home thus saving you money and reducing your carbon footprint!

• Set your thermostat as low as possible in the Winter and as high as possible in Summer.
• Be sure your system's filter is clean and changed often so air can freely pass through it.
• Be sure to clean your home's registers, baseboard heaters, radiators, and make sure they are not blocked by furniture or rugs.
• Turn off kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans after 20 minutes of use (you would be surprised how much air is actually exhausted from these tiny fans).
• During the cold months keep drapes and shades on your South facing windows open during the day to allow sunlight in and closed at night to reduce any drafts.
• During the cooling season keep blinds and drapes closed to reduce solar heat.
• Be sure when upgrading equipment to get energy star appliances.
• Check your ducts for leaks most leaks occur around the joints.
• If you do repair any holes in your ducts be sure to use mastic, butyl tape, foil tape, or other heat approved tapes.
• You can lose up to 60% of your heat if your ducts are not properly insulated, so be sure to skip a vacation and invest in having your house professionally insulated and sealed.

One other, non traditional and kind of extreme way to heat your home in the cooler months is to use candles and bundle up. We know there is a lot of dislike towards candles, and with good reason, but if you purchase sustainable candles (we like soy) and place them safely and strategically around the room you would be surprised at how quickly the temperature will rise.