How to Reduce Energy Consumption in the Winter

When winter approaches, you want to ensure that your home’s energy system can efficiently deal with the colder weather. Routine maintenance and tasks can help your home become more energy efficient when it needs it the most.

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Even small tasks can start to add up and cut down your expenses, while bigger tasks can have a real impact on your wallet. Here's every task you should put on your checklist to do before the next big Arctic blast arrives.

Weatherstrip Your Windows

Reducing air leaks is one of the fastest ways to improve your home's energy efficiency. Since air can enter and leave your home through gaps or cracks in the windows, adding weatherstripping material can prevent cold air from entering. It can also keep the warm air produced by the HVAC system inside your home. This reduces the work your heating system needs to do, thus lowering its usage costs. Add weather stripping material like felt or v-strip to the window frame, jambs, and sashes.

Use Window Coverings

Apart from weather stripping your windows, adding window coverings like curtains, shades, and drapes provides an extra protective layer that keeps the heat inside your home. Your windows are one of the most common ways for heat to escape, so these coverings can help keep it inside. You can combine both shades with drapes for even more efficiency and savings.

You can even use smart window shades that open and close on a set schedule, so you don’t have to do it yourself. Windows that receive sunlight can actually increase the temperatures in your home, so programmable shades can open them up during the day and close them at night. Cellular shades, Roman shades, wool drapes, and window quilts tend to provide excellent results.

Change Your Furnace Filter

Changing your furnace filter regularly can save you money and also help eliminate breakdowns. Furnace filters also help protect one of the most expensive items in your home. Nick from Thelen Mechanical says this simple step can improve energy efficiency by 5% to 15%, saving you around $60 to $120 annually, depending on your system. Apart from savings, it can also improve the air quality in your home by efficiently removing more pollutants from the air.

Add or Replace Insulation

Insulation can significantly reduce your heating and cooling expenses. If it’s been a long time since you got new insulation or your existing one has gotten damaged, then replacing it can offer significant energy savings and more comfort. Insulation is a barrier that keeps the treated air produced by your HVAC system inside your home. This helps regulate the temperature so your HVAC system doesn’t need to work twice as hard. Replacing the insulation in your attic and basement is often sufficient for most homes.

Use Indoor Air Quality Products

Indoor air quality products can clean the air as it moves through the HVAC system. You can also keep your home at a comfortable humidity level with a whole-home humidifier. Viruses and bacteria can be taken care of with UV lights and HEPA filters. HEPA filters also take care of the dust and debris in an HVAC system, which maximizes its performance and prevents clogs. Nick says maintaining proper indoor air quality and humidity can reduce energy use by up to 10%, which could save $150 to $200 annually, along with potential health savings from cleaner air.

Unplug Unused Electronics

Some devices in your home can consume electricity even when not on. Known as vampire devices, these devices alone might not add up to too much, but with multiple appliances, they can cost you $100 to $200 a year. TVs are some of the bigger culprits, using up energy even when turned off. Computers that have their chargers plugged in come in second, followed by kitchen appliances like microwaves and dishwashers. Some of these might be less convenient than others to plug and unplug, but it’s worth keeping them in mind.

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Get an HVAC Tune-Up

Tune-ups on your HVAC equipment are a great way to save money throughout the year! Tune-ups ensure your system is running at optimal efficiency and safely. It protects both your wallet and your family’s safety. According to Nick, regular tune-ups can improve HVAC efficiency by 10-15%, leading to $150 to $300 in annual savings, depending on usage.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat can help ensure your heating is only used when people are home. If you’re going on a vacation or going out for most of the day, it may be a waste to have your temperature set at the same temperature as if you were home. Scheduling your thermostat to lower the temperature while you sleep can also make a difference each day. This is where replacing your current thermostat with a programmable thermostat can offer long-term savings after the upfront cost. Other quick replacements include switching all your lights to LED lighting.