Energy Efficient Home Program

The following items are projects we recommend to make your home more efficient and comfortable:

• Have your furnace inspected and cleaned each year before heating season. This can be done by a qualified heating contractor.
• If you have a boiler system, have your boiler checked by a qualified plumbing/heating contractor.
• Change your furnace filter every 30-45 days. Some of the new filters can be cleaned instead of changing every month.
• Have your attic checked to see if you need to add more insulation. Call a professional insulation company to get an estimate. You may be able to do this yourself.
• Add storm windows to your existing wood windows. This will add insulation value to your walls and keep the heat inside. You may check on replacement windows which have thermal pane glass which add a lot of insulation value to your home. Most are even maintenance free-no painting.
• If your furnace is an older model and hasn't been serviced properly, it may be advantageous to get some estimates on replacing it with a 90 plus high efficiency furnace. A heating contractor can provide this for you.
• Add storm doors to your existing entrance doors. This will add additional insulation value to your home.
• Drain your gas water heater once a year to help keep it clean inside. Check with your instruction manual before attempting this procedure.
• Some older homes need weather stripping replaced or added around doors and windows. Caulk around all windows and doors that have cracks and holes where light can be seen from the inside out.
• Wash only full loads of dishes in your dishwasher.
• Wash only full loads of laundry and use cold water whenever possible.
• Turn off lights whenever you are not home. Change the bulbs to smaller watt bulbs. Energy efficient bulbs are available at Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or any hardware store.
• Keep your thermostat at a constant temperature. Do not keep changing it up & down. This uses more energy.
• Install an outdoor clothes line for outdoor clothes drying. Let nature dry your clothes.
• Open your blinds and curtains during the day to let the sun heat your home.
• Take shorter showers when bathing (5 minutes or less).
• Make an energy conservation to-do list or schedule every year and stick to it. Mark it on a calendar that you look at every day.
• Discuss all items with other members of your household. Remember, this is everyone's home. Everyone needs to do their part in saving energy.