Photo Source: All Seasons Property Maintenance
Fall is here bringing with it shorter, cooler days. For many of us, this means more time spent indoors. But what does this mean for your energy bills?
“There are some tasks to consider before the cold temperatures set in,” says Dave Walton, director of home ideas at Enercare Home Services. “Transitioning into cooler months changes your energy consumption patterns, but there are ways to keep your home comfortable while still reducing energy use and costs.”
Walton offers these tips to help improve your home’s energy efficiency:
• Keep in the heat – Check to ensure there is at least 16 inches of insulation in the attic. Anything less, homeowners should plan to get topped up. Properly insulating your home is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to cut down on heating costs.
• Seal air leaks around windows and doors – Caulking and weather-stripping around doors, windows and exterior wall electrical outlets can help keep the warm air in during colder months.
• Upgrade your traditional hot water heater to a tankless or condensing water heater – Replacing older equipment with a high efficiency water heater can save you up to 40 per cent in energy consumption.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving LED or CFL bulbs – Compact fluorescent light bulbs use up to 75 per cent less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs and can last up to 10 times longer.
• Upgrade your furnace – Replace a unit that’s older than 15 to 17 years with a high-efficiency furnace
More tips to increase your home’s energy efficiency are available at www.enercare.ca.
www.newscanada.com
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