Save Power as You Prepare your
Home for Winter!
Regardless of whether you like it or not and are ready or not – winter comes around on a very regular basis – after death and taxes it’s the one thing in life you can be sure of – so don’t just sit back and wait for it to hit, get to it and prepare your home to save power so that no more of your hand earned cash goes to the power companies than is absolutely necessary.
Of course our homes need to have sufficient heating to ensure a comfortable and healthy environment to live in and in these days of pollution awareness the most common way to achieve this is generally by turning on the electric heater(s). Heating accounts for the largest portion of our electricity account so we don’t want to waste any.
Get the Best From Your Fireplace to Help Save Power:
If you do still use a fire make sure it’s fully functional before winter arrives: ensure that the damper seals tightly so that there is no heat escaping from your room into your fireplace and up the chimney when your fire isn’t in use (this also applies to vents and ducts etc in other parts of the house – don’t let heat escape willy-nilly). Your chimney should be cleaned by a professional to ensure safety and that your fire is working at its most efficient and you save power.
Use Solar Heat to Save Power:
You don’t have to have solar panels on your roof in order to opt-in on free energy from the sun. Just make sure you’ve opened your curtains in the morning to let the sun in and close them in the early evening before the house begins to cool down at night. If you have good thermal backed or lined drapes they will work even better to prevent heat loss at night and thus you will save power. When building a new home it’s worth considering having double glazing to further decrease heat loss through your windows.
Save Power by Stopping Drafts:
Ensure your doors and window seals are in good condition because if they’re not you’re going to be getting cold air coming in and your costly warm air going out.
A word of warning!
Don’t be tempted to shut your house up air tight all the time thinking that you will save power. You must ensure your home is well ventilated so that it doesn’t become damp. Just by breathing we’re adding moisture into the air and in the winter condensation will cause mould and mildew to become an issue. As well as being a health risk it also takes heaps more energy to warm air that’s damp
Another final quick little tip to save power
If you use and electric jug to heat your water for tea and coffee, try to heat the approximate amount you’ll need and then when you’ve poured what you need top it up for next time while the jug is still hot – this way you’re using the heat still there to take the initial chill of your water and you will save power when you heat it next time, every little bit helps.
Having additions, alterations or renovation work done on your home is a little different from having a new house built. The builders are often working on your home whilst you are still living in it so you must feel comfortable with having these people in your home, around you and your family and belongings.