CHESAPEAKE, Va. — I'm sure we can all get on board with saving money during the winter months. Turns out, there are some ways you can reduce bills and still keep your home warm.
Buddy Smith at Russell's and American Mechanical shared some advice on this, starting with where air can get in.
"Sealing up any gaps that you might have around doors, windows, whether it's caulking the gaps, or if they're large enough to where you may need some kind of a plastic sealant or even air foam sealant that comes in a can. Those can make a huge difference. Air is the enemy," says Smith.
"When you take all of the gaps and leaks in a home and you add them all together, sometimes we end up with a really large number equivalent of keeping a couple of windows fully open," says Smith.
We know insulation is very important in keeping your home at the right temperature. Smith says to check that your home is insulated the right way.
"The big effects of not having insulation will be felt in your feet because there's no insulation under the floor. It's relatively inexpensive to put insulation up. Same thing in the attic. If you're lacking insulation in the walls, that's much more costly to deal with. But checking your insulation is really important," says Smith.
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Then there's your heating and cooling system. Smith says it should be looked at once a year.
"One of the most important things that we do during HVAC maintenance would be to clean... a coil that's inside the top of a furnace or inside of a heat pump air handler," says Smith. "[If it hasn't been cleaned,] the air doesn't make it through there very well. So, everything is working harder and costing you more money," says Smith.
During the winter months, I'm sure everyone's thermostat ranges anywhere from 65 degrees all the way up to 75 degrees. Personally, mine is set to 70 degrees, but experts say the best temperature to have your thermostat set at is actually 68 degrees.
"Set the thermostat to 120 on the water heater," says Smith. "It avoids scalding, but should be warm enough to do everything you want to do with the hot water."
Smith says in the end, it's all about maintenance and keeping your systems clean and working properly. He says paying attention to the little details can save you about $32 a month.
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