There are many ways to reduce your home's heating and cooling energy requirements:
- Plant several deciduous trees on the south side of your house, where they can give shade during the hot summer months. By the time winter comes, they will have dropped their leaves, letting the winter sun warm your house.
- Replace your present thermostat with a 'time of day' model. These programmable thermostats allow you to keep the heat low during the night and still have it toasty warm when you get up in the morning. They can also reduce the heat during the day when no one is home. Units cost about $40 to $60, but will pay for themselves in the first heating season.
- Caulk cracks around windows, foundations, doors, and where pipes or conduits enter through the wall. Use a high quality caulk that won't dry out or shrink.
- Add insulation to your attic, and be sure there is adequate insulation in the walls.
- Windows allow a lot of heat to escape, even if you have double pane windows. The best solution is to install insulating shades, that seal tightly around the window molding and can be drawn each night. Two of the popular brands are 'Warm Windows' and 'Window Quilts'. ***