Washington Gas

Here are four quick and easy home improvements that you can make to maximize the comfort and efficiency of your home this heating season.

1. One of the best ways to save energy during the winter is to turn the thermostat down. A highly cost-effective way to regulate your usage is to install a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. Most programmable thermostats are flexible enough to provide variable control based on individual days of the week, and can distinguish between weekdays and weekends. Each one-degree reduction can reduce your natural gas bill by 3%, so the potential for savings can be large. Turning your thermostat down by 5-10 degrees during the day can produce measurable savings each month. Likewise, turning the heat down prior to going to bed each night can generate similar savings.

 

2. Avoid the temptation to allow the temperature to free-fall in your home by turning your thermostat off during the day or overnight. Most thermostats have a minimum setting of about 50°-55° F to help prevent dangerous drops in temperature in basements and crawl spaces. These areas are typically not well heated, and temperatures can drop much farther there than they may in the main portion of a home. Extremely low temperatures can cause pipes in these spaces to freeze and break, even when the inside temperature of the home is much higher.

 

3. Ill-fitting doors and windows can be a major source of heat loss in the home. Look carefully at your windows from both the inside and outside of your home. Check for cracked caulk and gaps between the window and the window frame. Replace any caulk that is weathered. Check the doors of your home similarly and add weather stripping around the base of the door to minimize drafts. Federal tax credits are available to offset the cost of replacing your existing heating system with a high-efficiency natural gas furnace. Door and window replacement projects, insulation improvements, and hot water heater replacement may also be eligible for federal tax credits provided that the efficiency of your new system meets the requirements of the program. Click here for more information on qualified home improvements.

 

4. Finally, if you use a natural gas clothes dryer, try reducing the heat to the lowest possible setting that will still dry your clothes. If you want to use the "high" setting, reduce your drying time accordingly. Dry full loads whenever possible but don't overload the dryer. Overloaded and under-loaded dryers don't dry clothes efficiently.