Winter Energy Bill Savers

Posted: October 9, 2015

Posted: October 9, 2015
Posted by: David O’Connell, President of Wilson Oil and Propane

Two time Emmy Award-winner and consumer savings expert, Jeanette Pavini has been providing consumers with real-world money-saving tips they can use for more than a decade. Jeanette Pavini is a personal finance columnist for MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal Sunday and contributor to several networks live shows. Jeanette’s consumer savings tips have been featured on The Today Show, ABC Now, Oprah.com, NY Daily News, USA Today and more.

Dropping temperatures don’t have to mean higher heating bills. Here are a few of Jeanette’s simple steps to prep your home for winter weather.

LOWER THE THERMOSTAT AT BEDTIME – Put another blanket on your bed and lower your thermostat. Making it 10 to 15 degrees cooler while you sleep can save you 5 to 15 percent a year on heating.

FLIP THE SWITCH ON YOUR CEILING FANS – In winter you want a fan spinning clockwise on a low setting to create an updraft that will take the warm air that rises to the ceiling and distribute throughout the room. Most fans have a switch that controls the directions that the blades spin.

CHECK FOR WEATHER STRIPPING – Windows and doors are a major source of heat loss but there’s a simple test that you can do to see if heat is escaping. Close outside doors and windows on a piece of paper; if you can pull the paper through without tearing it, then you probably need weather stripping.

HOLIDAY LIGHTING – Switch incandescent holiday lighting to LED bulbs. Many people have done this in their homes but have not upgraded their holiday lights. Experts estimate that it costs only 27 to 82 cents to light a 6 foot tree, 12 hours a day for 40 days. In fact, because incandescent wattage is 80-90% more than LED wattage, the cost to power an incandescent can be up to 90 times greater than powering an LED. To encourage the switch, some stores are offering a discount when you trade in your incandescent bulbs.

For even greater energy savings as winter approaches, we can perform a comprehensive top-to-bottom assessment of your home and its comfort systems. Our goal is to make sure you are getting the most for your energy dollar, and to ensure that your home is healthy and safe. For more information on Wilson Home Performance Evaluations, click here or give us a call at 888-607-2621.