In Rexburg and southeast Idaho, it goes without saying that you need to do everything you can to reduce home energy costs. Winter months are notorious for high energy consumption. Rexburg Idaho temperatures can dip down as low as -25 degrees, so saving energy can be a bit daunting. Here are a few simple things you can do around your house to prevent your energy bill from spiraling out of control.
Checklist To Reduce Home Energy Costs
- Change the filter on your heating unit. Clean filters improve air circulation which can dramatically reduce home energy costs related to heating.
- Keep the thermostat at 68 degrees or lower during the day. If its a bit chilly, just throw on a cozy sweater or hoodie. There is no need to heat the whole house when few people are home.
- Schedule routine system maintenance on your furnace, water heater, and other appliances to insure they are operating at maximum efficiency.
- Reduce your home energy costs at night by turning your thermostat down by 10 to 15 degrees for 8 hours. This one suggestion could save you up to 10 percent on your annual energy costs. You can throw an inexpensive IKEA comforter on each bed and everyone will be toasty warm.
- Wash all clothes in cold water and only do laundry when you have a full load. Also, make sure that you are doing laundry during evening and weekend hours when electric rates are often much lower.
- Keep the cold out by hanging curtains in your windows. Curtains reduce home energy costs by reducing cold drafts which may cause your heating system to come on more often. If you don’t want to use curtains, consider taping heavy duty plastic on the inside of your windows to get the same effect.
- In the daylight hours, open the south facing window curtains and let the sun shine in. The sun is free heat for your home and allows your furnace to work less during the day. But don’t forget to close the curtains when the sun goes down.
- A major way to reduce home energy costs is make sure that all of your doors, windows, vents and other parts of your home have been properly caulked, sealed, and insulated from the outside and from leaks. A one inch gap in the insulation on a doorway can create a steady stream of cold air coming into the house. It’s worth it to be detailed on this one.
- Keep heating registers clear. Remove rugs, baskets, furniture, and other items from heating registers to maximize heating efficiency.
- Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use. Using a power strip can make this as easy as flipping off one switch. You can also install motion sensor light switches in rooms that tend to have the lights left on.
How Do You Reduce Home Energy Costs
There are a lot of ways to reduce home energy costs that we haven’t mentioned here. We want to know how you reduce your energy costs. If you have something you have been doing that has reduced your home energy costs, please share it with us below. In the mean time, you may want to read our Saving Money at Home tips too.
