As winter approaches, it is expected that households will pay more to heat their homes. The high costs are due to changes in energy demand and supply patterns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are efficient ways to conservatively consume energy and help households spend less and save money while staying warm and comfortable during the winter months.
Programmable Thermostats Using a programmable thermostat allows you to adjust settings according to your preferences. Setting it at 68℉ while you are awake and then lowering it when you are asleep or away from home might help you save a small percentage on the bills and energy consumption.
Mindful cooking
Cooking food in large batches might help. Warming up the food will be more effective than cooking a couple of times throughout the day. This will be a little bit easy on the electric bills. A lot more power is needed to make separate servings. You also get to save up on getting ingredients.
Plan to use space heaters and fireplace sparingly
Unless the fireplace is built specifically for home heating, it should be used sparingly. Warm air can easily escape through the chimney. It is advisable to close the dampers when the fireplace is not in use. Use a portable heater in the room you are currently at. You should not leave it running when you are asleep or away from home. Keep it a safe distance from curtains and things that are easily flammable to prevent fires from starting.
Use drying racks to dry clothes
Wearing clothes right out of the dryer on a cold winter day might feel nice, but it can use up a lot of energy in the long run. The best thing to do would be to air dry them or use a drying rack. This can potentially save you a lot of money on the electric bills.
Use appliances efficiently
During winter, most people are likely to be indoors most of the time. What better way to entertain yourself than watching some TV, maybe playing some video games, or using your laptop. Being on these appliances for more extended periods will bring the cost of electricity a bit higher than usual. Cutting some time off from them and employing other means to entertain yourself like reading a book or playing board games will help reduce the cost. Switching off the appliances when not in use will help with energy consumption, thereby saving some money.
Extra blankets, sleeping bags, and warm winter clothes
This is an alternative way to heating and staying warm throughout the day. You can reduce the setting on the thermostat a little to save up on energy. Even while entertaining yourself with some TV while on the couch, you can cover yourself with some blankets to keep you warm and comfortable.
Proper insulation
During the cold season, heating a house that is not well insulated will not help with saving on energy. Check around for areas that might have air leaks, especially doors, windows, and other openings. A lot of heat is lost through those cracks and leaks. So plug any holes in walls to limit heat loss.
Applying these little tips will not save you thousands, but it surely will help save on your money. Most of these tips are common sense thoughts and easy to implement, taking you a few minutes and maybe a few dollars.
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