Tips for Saving Money by Winterizing Your Home

A typical household spends nearly $1,900 annually on energy bills and contributes twice the amount of greenhouse gas than an average car. Now is the time to prove your Go Green attitude and lifestyle by making small changes in your daily habits to cut back on your utilities bill and make changes to become more environmentally friendly.

Don’t wait for the first snowstorm to come through to make sure your heating system is running efficiently and effectively. Now would be a good idea to do a routine and any necessary maintenance checkups.

Put on an extra sweater and an extra blanket on the beds allowing you to turn down the thermostat but still snuggle up in a comfortable temperature. Did you know that turning down your heat by just 2 degrees you are reducing your carbon footprint by 25%.

During the day, open all the blinds and shades to invite the sun in to warm up the rooms but don’t forget to close them at night to seal the cold air out.

When was the last time you dusted your light bulbs? This is one small step that you can take to increase the lighting in rooms without adding another source of light but if you have to, choose florescent light bulbs they have less mercury and last longer.

Even if the power switch is off, many electronic devices will still pull in electricity, so when you are not using an electronic device or charger for an appliance remember to unplug it saving you energy and money (think about how often you leave your phone charger plugged in, yikes).

If you have a fire burning fireplace save your ashes instead of throwing them away to add to your compost to create a soil containing nutrients that are beneficial for your garden.

Think about using nontoxic de-icing substances such as cat litter or sand to prevent hazardous waste from chemicals.

Think about it, these are small steps you can take at home to help you save money and the earth; all while snuggling up cold weather favorites like hot chocolate and apple cider