Beautiful, but drafty.
My parents believe in saving energy. Their house is comparable to a museum: it is full of beautiful, old things and is most always uncomfortably cold. My pleas to raise the heat in their 3,800 square foot domicile were normally met with “Put on more clothes.” I had to move to Florida after graduating college to escape the induced tundra-like hell.
Aside from moving across the country to avoid cold weather, the following tips can help with saving money in the winter and might help you with budgeting for your heating costs.
Have a system tune-up: Saving energy means having your heating and cooling systems checked before the extreme weather seasons to ensure everything is performing as it should. Certified professionals can help you with saving money on your heating and energy costs by making sure everything is running efficiently.
Check your windows: Budgeting for heating bills might have something to do with your windows. Older windows are a common culprit in excessive energy bills. Flimsy construction or disintegrated caulking allows the comfortable air to escape your home in exchange for the outside elements. You are saving money and saving energy when you replace your drafty windows. If that is too expensive, try to recaulk around the leaky areas (find them by spraying soapy water on one side, and blast a blow dryer on the other), or get insulated window panels- a fancy way to say ‘thick curtains’.
Install a programmable thermostat: Saving money and saving energy starts with your thermostat. I often forget to turn my analog thermostat off before leaving for work, which results in wasted power and skewed budgeting for heat bills. Having a programmable thermostat allows you to set your home to specific temperatures for different times of day, and even allows specific settings for each day of the week. It is the most hassle-free method forsaving energy and you will have no problem saving money.
Or, move to south Florida.
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