Winter brings its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to keeping our homes warm and comfortable. While we can’t stop winter from coming, we can help you make your home as energy-efficient as possible. And it’s actually a lot easier than you might think.
By going through your whole home and keeping things efficient before the temperatures really drop down, you can save on your heating bill and protect appliances from the wear and tear of winter usage.
Here are ATCO Energy's top energy-saving tips for the winter:
Check the siding
Ok, so the truth is you can’t add insulation to your existing siding. Hopefully, someone purchased great siding with quality insulation when you or the previous owner built the house. If this isn’t the case, you can still check for problem areas and spot fix them to help your energy situation.
Look for rotten wood siding, cracks, or shrunken caulking. Addressing these issues before the snow hits can help save energy.
Windows & doors
A significant step to save on your energy bill in winter involves checking your windows and doors. If they don’t close properly, consider replacing them. If they open and shut with relative ease, most of the other winter heat issues caused by windows and doors can be fixed with a can of exterior caulk.
Weatherstripping can also help correct these situations, and you’ll want to make sure you’re addressing problems on both sides of your doors and windows.
If you’re still feeling a draft, even after caulking and weather stripping, it might be wise to invest in some heavy curtains to keep your home warm and reduce your energy bill.
Chimney health
A wood-burning fireplace is such a treat for those cold winter days. While many use natural gas as a pilot, they use much less energy than a furnace or electrical heater. Opting for fire heat every once in a while can save you precious pennies.
If you do have a working wood-burning fireplace then your chimney needs to be cleaned out every year in order to stay safe. A highly flammable substance called creosote will build up in chimneys with wood-burning fires and you’ll need to make sure it’s cleared out.
Get your thermostat in order
One of the primary ways to reduce your energy bill in winter is through efficient thermostat management. We’re tempted to just crank the heat during the cold days, but this always leads to consuming more energy than you need to.
Modern thermostats can adapt to your schedule, ensuring they heat your home smartly, not excessively, in winter.
Change the HVAC filters
This is an important part of winter readiness that often gets overlooked. Your furnace filter needs to be changed every 4-6 weeks in winter and at least once during every other season. A good rule of thumb is to remove your filter and hold it up to the light. If you cannot see light through it, then it’s time to change it.
When these filters get dirty and clogged up, your entire HVAC has to work harder and gets damaged while increasing your energy bills. Maintaining your furnace with a yearly tune-up can help you save money on energy costs. It can also prevent the inconvenience of dealing with a broken furnace during the holiday season.
Clean the fridge coils
Ok, this is where we start to lose folks, but please trust us — this is an unspoken key to creating a more energy-efficient home. Your fridge coils are no doubt clogged with dirt, grime, animal hair, and food particles — all of which add dollars and cents to your heating bill every month.
Coils are always located on the back or bottom of your fridge, and they look like an intricate grill grate. They can be cleaned out using a vacuum or a coil brush.
Laundry management
Make sure when you do laundry that you’re always doing full loads. Cutting one load of washing per week, even if you're already using cold water only, and you could save $18 a year on your laundry costs. Speaking of cold water, use it! This gives your water heater a rest and eliminates energy consumption.
The clothing dryer is an energy guzzler and costs you loads every year. Try skipping the dryer every once in a while and hang dry your clothes instead.
Using an indoor drying rack adds some much-needed moisture to our dry Alberta air. But if you are going to use the dryer, add a towel. This little trick helps speed up the drying time!
Close vents in unused rooms
Have a spare guest room you don’t use unless the in-laws are in town? A storage room you barely enter? Maybe the kids are away at college? Whatever the reason, if you have a room in your house that people rarely enter, you’re wasting valuable energy heating it in the wintertime.
Closing off the vents to about 25% will prevent you from paying to heat uninhabited space. (Just make sure it’s kept warm enough that the pipes don’t freeze!) This helps redirect heating to frequently used areas, contributing to energy savings in winter.
Ask for help
It only takes a few hours to make your home more energy-efficient and ready for the next few months. You’ll thank yourself on winter’s chilliest evenings.
Chat with an ATCO Energy advisor today and find out how you can fine-tune some of those potential energy-sucking hot zones and reduce your winter energy bill.
