NLI: Northern Lights, Inc. > Manager's Message > Tips to Reduce Your Winter Energy Bill

Tips to Reduce Your Winter Energy Bill

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the company of family and friends during the holidays, and have your resolutions in place for the start of a great new year. Whether your resolution is to lose weight, save money, spend more time with your family, or even learn something new and exciting, let’s get to work achieving our goals in the year ahead.

If your new year’s resolution is to save money, here are some options for reducing your energy use and your power bill.

Curtains. During the day, keep your curtains open on windows getting sun. Close all curtains at night to keep the heat inside.
Thermostat. If you have a thermostat, use a digital one and program it to heat the house to around 68 degrees only while you are home. Let the temperature drop 7 to 10 degrees at night and while you are out of the house. Make sure your furnace is serviced routinely and you are regularly changing the filters.
Fireplace. Keep the damper closed unless a fire is burning, and regularly have your chimney cleaned. Consider adding a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air into the room.
Windows. Make sure your windows are caulked and there are no gaps. You can also tape heavy-duty clear plastic to the inside of your window frame.
Vents. Make sure your air registers and vents are not blocked by rugs, furniture or drapes. •
Doors. Make sure weatherstripping around your exterior doors is in good shape. You can also use draft stoppers to lay on the ground in front of doors.
Refrigerator. Make sure you clean the coils on the back of your fridge annually. This cuts down on how hard the refrigerator has to work to keep your food cold.
Water heater. Set your tank’s thermostat no higher than 120 degrees. Consider installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators to reduce the amount of water you use, thus reducing the amount of water your water heater needs to heat.