Winter’s Green Home Maintenance Tips

If you live in an area that has avoided fall’s snowfalls, consider yourself lucky— lucky, because you still have time to get your house ready before winter’s grasp really takes hold. If you’re wondering what you need to do winter-proof your house (but still want your carbon footprint to remain a respectable size), take a look at our tips, below, for green winter maintenance.

When set to rotate clockwise, ceiling fans can help heat your home in the wintertime. The clockwise rotation of the blades creates an updraft, bringing the warm air near the ceiling down to the rest of the room. And this tip barely makes a dent in your energy costs.

A musty, dirty HVAC system can increase your heating bill significantly. Clean out your vents and the system will work more efficiently.

Find the spots around your house where warm air might be seeping out and cold air creeping in and get these leaks sealed.  It’s a rather simple process that will save on energy. Fill in cracks around door and window frames and seal any fireplaces you don’t use, too.

Give your hot water heater a break and wrap it up in fiberglass insulation. With some protective insulation, it won’t take as much energy to turn that cold water to up to 10 percent on your monthly bill.

You’ve been saying you’re going to do this for a while now, so take this late fall opportunity to install a programmable thermostat. It’s a relatively inexpensive improvement that will save you almost $10 for every ton of carbon you’re home doesn’t burn.

Keep the thermostat a few degrees lower so it doesn’t have to work so hard and instead, change out your thin blankets for warmer quilts and keep cozy throws around the house.

Stay connected with the Just Energy blog to keep your home green all winter-long! Make sure to like Just Energy on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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Sources:

• http://www.greenerideal.com/alternative-energy/1211-winterizing-your-home/
• http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/energy-efficient/4217068