Wasting energy is one of the nastiest things we can do to the planet and to our wallets.
Thursday, Jan. 10, is National Cut Your Energy Costs Day, so with help from S.M.U.D, we’ve rounded up a few of our best savings tips to help trim your utility bills without being forced to make major lifestyle changes.
Here are some money and energy-saving tips to think about this winter:
For every two degrees you lower your thermostat during the winter, you save about 10 percent on the operating cost of your heater.
Here are more cool weather conservation tips:
- Set the thermostat to 68 degrees, and lower it to 55 degrees at night or when no one's home.
- Program your thermostat so you don't have to remember to change the setting.
- If you have a heat pump, set the lower temperature to 63 degrees. Heat pumps are designed to maintain temperatures within a narrower range.
- Have a licensed HVAC contractor check your ducts if you notice little or no air coming out of vents, or if some rooms are colder than others. (Check out our heating and cooling rebates.)
- Get your heating system professionally checked once a year, and change the air filters regularly.
- Keep vents open and air flowing. Closing doors and room vents puts extra strain on the central heating system.
- Use portable heaters only in rooms that don't get enough heat, or if your home doesn’t have a central heating system. Remember to turn them off when the room’s not in use.
- Never use propane heaters, hibachis, barbecues — or any heater with an open flame — indoors. They produce carbon monoxide, a clear, odorless gas that can be fatal to humans and animals.
- Open drapes and shades on sunny days to let in the sun's heat; close them at night and on cloudy days.
- Cover your fireplace and close the damper when you're not using it.
- Dress in layers and add a blanket to your bed.
There are other ways to save on energy costs, as well. A few ways to do this are to carpool when you can, unplug unused appliances and take shorter showers, to name a few.
If you use these tips, you will be able to create energy and financial savings the entire year.
Do what you can to conserve energy. To observe National Cut Your Energy Costs Day, use #CutYourEnergyCostsDay with your posts on social media.
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You might say Joe Field is an unsung super hero of Stockton. When the comic book nut realized Marvel Comic's Fantastic Four didn't have a "real life" home, Field came up with the idea of making Stockton the super hero team's birthplace.