7 ways to control home heating, cooling costs
There are things you can do to keep your home reasonably warm and cozy while also keeping a lid on how much you pay. And in the South, warmer weather is always around the corner, so these tips apply yearround. It’s not too late for a few projects to help with energy efficiency.
• Programmable thermostat: I’ve suggested this to you before, but now I am pleading with you to get a simple programmable thermostat. Budget models start at around $25 and are easy to install yourself following the enclosed instructions. If you are unsure, go to a home center. Arrive knowing exactly what type of heating and cooling system you have that is operated with a thermostat. Ask questions. Then follow the instructions you receive there and the ones included with the product to program it for the entire week— up to four settings a day — to meet your comfort needs. Smart thermostats cost somewhat more but allow you to adjust your home’s heat from anywhere using any of your connected smart devices. You can be lying in bed and adjust the temperature without getting up. Or you can turn the heat down when you go out of town but turn it up with your phone when you are on your way home so it is set when you arrive.
• Weatherstripping: Open an outside door and look at that strip of foam rubber that runs across the top and down both sides of the door. Now check a window. You should see the same thing all the way around that window. It should be intact, attached tightly, leaving no space for air to leak out of the house when the window is closed.
Weatherstripping, available at any home center or online, comes in varying widths with a sticky-back adhesive, which makes it a cinch to install. Do it today before any more expensively warmed or cooled air gets sucked out through tiny openings around your exterior windows and doors.
• Door threshold: Get on your hands and knees so you can take a look under your front door and any other outside doors as well. See any light? That’s where air is being sucked outside.