With winter fast approaching for many people around the globe, there’s no better time to start thinking about how you can make your home as energy efficient as possible when you’re going to be using a lot more energy to keep you safe and comfortable. Luckily, there are all kinds of ways to do this if you’re willing to make just a few small changes.
To help you in knowing where to start, here are three tips for running a more energy efficient home in the winter.
Let In More Natural Light
One of the biggest reasons that people use more energy in the winter months is because they’re heating their homes. And while having an efficient heating system and an efficient transformer distributing the energy is important, there are habits that you’re doing at home that play a big role as well.
Just because the temperatures outside are cold doesn’t mean that there’s no way to use the world around you to help you heat your home. In fact, if you’re consistent about letting sunlight into your home throughout the day, your windows can be a great way to heat your home naturally without having to even turn your heater on until the sun starts to set. This way, you can take advantage of the sunlight that’s already hitting your home by allowing it to heat the areas inside as well.
Block Air Leaks And Drafts
Once you have some warm air in your home, you want to make sure that it’s not escaping back into the cold air or that the cold air is pushing that warm air out via drafts and air leaks.
To determine if you have any drafts or air leaks, run your hand along your doors and windows to see if you feel any cold air coming in. You can also look to see if any light comes in around doors and windows, as this means air is leaking through, too. If you notice something, you can use caulking or weatherstripping to seal these areas up so there are no more leaks or drafts.
Reduce Temperatures Slightly
While you want your home to be a comfortable temperature for you and your family, you also don’t want to be spending an arm and a leg to heat the home to a higher temperature that you actually need to be comfortable.
If you and your family can handle putting on an extra layer of clothing or using a blanket when you’re relaxing at home, reducing the temperature just slightly on your thermostat can help your home be much more efficient with the energy it’s using to heat things up.
If you want to be more energy efficient with how you’re running your home this winter, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you with this goal.