Cooler weather is on the way! Heating requires more energy than any other system in your home, typically making up about 42 percent of your energy bill. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with recommended insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings you can save about 30 percent on your energy bill while reducing environmental emissions.

Here are some low cost/no cost examples of what you can do in addition to maintenance and upgrades:

• Set your programmable thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and lower the setpoint when you’re sleeping or away from home. We recommend 68 degrees.
• Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as recommended.
• Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators as needed and make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes.
• Turn off kitchen, bath or other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing. When replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
• During winter, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.