Finding the Right Temperature to Save ElectricityIf you are living in areas that experience harsh winters then this is for you. There is a great debate about the ideal home temperature that you need to set for your home during the winters. You can save energy by choosing cheap energy plans offered by various companies. But, you can also save much energy and enjoy cheap electricity by using the exact idea temperature set for your home during winters. Thermostats with better technology are programmed to save people energy by setting the home temperature automatically. Those who do not have a good thermostat that is designed to save energy then they will end up with an energy bill that hurts them even more. Ideally the 68-degree temperature is good enough to keep you comfortable during winters. But there are three occasions when you can sacrifice some temperature. While Sleeping: While sleeping you can decrease the temperature by a few degrees. You are in your warm bed and thus the winter you have to face out of bed is harsher as compared to when you are in bed. Thus for few hours of sleep you can save some electricity. While working: Remember that the body temperature increases a bit when you are in a work mode. If you are sitting on a computer of just doing something where there is less body movement you will require a higher temperature. But, when you are doing something where entire body is involved then your body itself will generate some heat. That is a good compensation to sacrifice some degrees on temperature. Low-intensity winter: We are usually habituated to comforts. Especially when the winter begins or ends we, by our habit, start the thermostat. But, mild winters can easily be made comfortable and tolerable by warm clots. Thus you won’t require to heat your home and thus can save electricity and money. Better heat management with Technologies There are thermostats that you can program. You can set them to start heating your home just before you come back from your office. You can also manage some thermostats with the help of app on your mobile. What to do when you are at vacation? When you are out for a longer period and then you can use a static temperature. There is always a chance of mold growth due to humidity. So a static temperature is useful. Modern thermostats come with the vacation feature where you can set the temperature accordingly. This feature keeps the temperature several degrees lower during the vacation period as compared to a normal period. Thus even though you are out you save electricity. But, if you have a house where there is no fear of molds or any such issue then you can off your thermostat. Do some companies offer packages for winters? After the deregulation there is a great deal of competition between power suppliers. The companies come up with various ways to attract new users by offering cheap electricity during winters. You should regularly search for cheap electricity during winters on various websites available online. These website compare and give you the cheapest electricity rates. Thus you can begin your winter by saving money on your electricity requirements.
Sneaky-Smart Ways to Cut Your BillsReplace Worn Weather stripping Worn and torn weather stripping around doors and windows creates drafts and lets in cold air. Seven to 12 percent of a home’s heat loss occurs around windows and doors and these leaks often prompt homeowners to turn up their furnace to keep comfy. Even if they don’t turn it up, they’re losing warm air, causing the furnace to work harder. Some weather stripping needs to be replaced every few years because of wear. Replacing it is typically as simple as pulling off the old and tacking on the new. Adjust Door Thresholds Some thresholds have four or five screws that let you adjust the height to eliminate a gap. Turn the screws counterclockwise to lift the threshold until daylight is mostly gone. A little light in the corners is okay, but don’t raise the threshold so high that it interferes with opening and closing the door. And the door shouldn’t drag on the threshold or it’ll wear out the weather stripping. Eliminate Drafts around Electrical Boxes Electrical boxes in your exterior walls are notoriously drafty because insulation isn’t always placed behind and around them correctly. To stop the leaks, remove the cover plates and fill small gaps around the boxes with acrylic latex caulk. For large gaps, use foam sealant. Then place a foam gasket over the outlet or switch and replace the cover plate. The gaskets cost about £1.50 for a two-pack. Plug Holes in Exterior Walls Pipes, gas lines, and electrical cables that enter your house often have gaps around them that have been haphazardly filled with some kind of caulk. But that caulk eventually cracks, peels, and falls off. These gaps let in outside air, plus they are ideal entry points for mice and insects. |