Tired of paying bloated electricity bills every month? Many techniques exist that you can put into action right now to save big monthly. It's obvious that they change between summer to winter, but lets dive in:
During the winter, an easy way to add to your house's warmth is by keeping south facing window covers open during the day time. This allows sunlight and infrared heat in, raising the ambient temperature of your home without spending a dime. As the sun sets, be sure to close blinds or curtains to create an insulative barrier.
Do you have a fireplace? If so, you need to seal it. It's pretty clear that heat rises, and your fireplace acts as a natural duct to let huge amounts of heat escape straight through the top of your chimney. Also, consider adding a protective plastic film over windows to fix any leaks between the window and frame.
During the summer, the opposite may be true for these tips.
Pay attention to your south-facing windows. Keep these shaded with curtains or blinds in the daytime. If you allow ample light in through these during the daytime, you may be surprised to find out that 80% more heat is coming into your house. If you do anything from this list, this needs to be it.
Make sure you pay close attention to your thermostat for air conditioning. Anything below 70 degrees will cost you a whopping 10% more per month, and hardly even feel noticable!
Also, keep a few fans around the house, to aide in air circulation. If you have a basement that isn't too humid, place a fan at the doorway that aims blowing from the basement to your upper level. This will provide a stream of cool, dry air similar to an air conditioner for virtually free.
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