Energy-Saving Hacks to Make the Most of Your Heat in Winter

Energy efficiency is something that many homeowners get interested in for a few reasons. Sometimes, there’s environmentalism in mind, not wanting to be wasteful with the way you use your home resources, and reducing your carbon footprint.

For other people, energy efficiency is all about money, heating system efficiency, and keeping energy bills as low as possible. The great thing is, energy efficiency addresses both these needs, and if you’d like to be more energy efficient this winter, we’ve got some cost-effective hacks to help you get going.

Caulk Up Your Window Frames

In any home, the window and its frame are always going to be one of the “weak points” when trying to find places that heat leaks.

This is important because, unlike your walls or your roof, you can’t just put insulation in to act as a protective layer. With older window frames, such as those made of wood, that constant exposure to time, temperature changes, and the elements can eventually cause breaks.

One cost-effective solution to this problem is getting quality, weather-resistant caulk and inspecting your frames. Wherever you find breaks, cracks or other defects, just seal it up with the caulk. No matter how small these breaks are, they all add up to more money lost to your heating unless they get plugged up.

Insulate Your Windows

An expensive, but effective solution to heat leaking from your windows is to simply get new windows. The latest products have all kinds of new features like more durable frames, multiple panes of glass, as well as layers of gas to act like insulators.

Of course, this solution, while adding a lot of value to a home, is often quite a bit more than what people are prepared to pay for energy efficiency.

The other option for people looking to save money without spending a lot is to get window insulation film from the local hardware store. Once it is applied to a window, it is stretched tight with hot air from a hairdryer, and it creates its own layer of insulating air. Now warm air doesn’t make direct contact with cold glass and immediately radiate out!

Reverse Your Ceiling Fan

Everyone knows that a ceiling fan is great for keeping cool during the summer, though lots of homeowners stopped using these fixtures once centralized AC was installed.

However, what’s less well known is that ceiling fans can also help with energy efficiency during the winter. All you need to do is reverse the settings on the fan.

It’s easy to understand the summer benefits. A fan normally runs at high speed, turning counter-clockwise during hot days. This creates a wind chill effect, the pleasant breeze that people enjoy, as air is pushed down at high speed.

In the winter, when furnaces are sending hot air into vents in the floor, a ceiling fan keeps the room warmer for longer periods. Putting a fan on slow speed, rotating clockwise now pulls warm air up, and redistributes throughout the room, rather than letting it sit too close to windows and start leaking out.

It takes a little bit more thought and effort to stay on top of energy efficiency, but for people who do, those heating bills during the winter in Lansing, MI don’t have to put a big hurt on the wallet every month!