Kingston Area Real Estate – Inexpensive Ways to Reduce Energy Costs
Cooling temperatures having you think about your energy costs this winter? If you are like me, we enjoy this time of year for fresh air, open windows and a nice breeze through the home. But, forget you left your windows open for too long and suddenly your homes temperature drops below comfortable! So here’s a blog post with ideas and tips for keeping your energy bills in check this year. As your local Kingston Area Real Estate Agent, I love sharing ways to bring your carrying costs down on your home..thus making home ownership more affordable!
You could get upgraded insulation installed in all the walls of your home, or buy a new high-efficiency furnace and air conditioner. These improvements would certainly reduce your energy costs – but they each require a significant investment.
What if you don’t have the budget?
There are a lot of little things you can do to make a big difference in your heating or cooling bill. Here are just a few examples:
• Turn down the thermostat a couple of degrees in winter. (And turn it up a few notches in summer.) Chances are, you’ll hardly notice the difference in comfort, and you’ll cut your heating/cooling costs by about 5%.
- Do you need the air conditioner on all the time during the summer months? Consider turning it way up, or completely off, at night when it’s cooler outside.
- Invest in a programmable thermostat. That way, you’ll be able to set up a schedule that uses less heating/cooling energy while you’re out of the house.
- Let the sunshine in through windows in the winter (and block the sun where possible in the summer.) “Passive heat gain” can contribute to up to 20% of the heat in your home. Best of all, the sun is free.
- Use energy efficient lights throughout your home. These can cut the cost of lighting by up to 40%!
- Be careful with outside lights, which can use a lot of energy! Turn them off before you go to bed or, better still, use programmable outside lighting that can be set to turn off automatically.
These are just a few ideas for reducing your energy bill. If you do some research, you can probably discover many other ways to cut your costs. It’s worth the effort!
I hope you find these helpful! And don’t forget, I’m never to busy to help you with buying or selling in the Kingston Area. I’m Brookfield approved too – so Military buyers and sellers, I’m your only call!
