Winter Energy Saving Tips Help Cut Costs And Keep You Warm (PHOTOS)

With the warmth of spring months away and parts of the U.S. getting battered by winter weather, maintaining your home in the cold is crucial.

There are several easy, but important steps you can take to not only make sure your home stays warm, but also to help cut down on heating costs. As an added benefit, making your home heating more efficient will also help to save energy, which is better for everyone in the long run.

Be sure to also check out these tips on purchasing energy efficient light bulbs.

Don't forget to take care of yourself too, this winter. Check out these tips for curing dry winter skin naturally.

Tips and captions courtesy of the EPA and Edison Electric Institute as marked.

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Comments

[Max Load]

03:49 PM on 02/29/2012

What is this "winter" you speak of? We've not seen it here yet, and it's February.

[So-called-bob]

10:55 AM on 12/29/2011

I have had the hot water heater set on "vacation" since 1983.

[zillizli]

09:51 AM on 12/29/2011

We keep recommending Energy Star products. Am I the only person who read this article in May 2010?
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/energy-efficient/4350335

It exposed the fact that Energy Star was (still is?? - who knows) approving anything, and everything, that asks for approval. Essentially, it is being used as a marketing upgrade - get the Energy Start certification to make more people buy your product. I think the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval actually meant something in the olden days, but ES doesn't.

A follow-up must be done on this situation.

[MikeDu]

11:46 PM on 12/28/2011

One thing I disagree with is 'open your curtains' My window panes are as cold as an open refrigerator door and the room temps quickly drops. Perhap what you meant was 'open your curtain *to the sunlight*', which in my apartment in mid-winter only means one window in one room for about 1/2 hr.

[gaydood]

06:59 PM on 12/28/2011

why do we use drinking water to flush away our poo?

[gaydood]

06:51 PM on 12/28/2011

save? it was 52 in the twin cities 2 days ago !!! this is innsane !!!!

[chrissyecycle]

02:59 PM on 12/28/2011

E-Cycle Environmental supports this article. While we understand how nice it is to keep your lights and appliances on all the time, we hope the public recognizes turning things off from time to time or utilizing different methods for keeping a place cold or warm can help save money.

www.ecycleenvironmental.com

[baxtron]

02:10 PM on 12/28/2011

I open the door in the unused room because there are no vents heating the hallway. To keep the door closed would mean to heat up the room unnecessarily. also don't buy a 5,000 sq ft home, like the ones pictured.

[gaydood]

06:53 PM on 12/28/2011

dont let the studs frezz or they will crack, i want a solar panel and a dc heater for free heat all day:)

[baxtron]

02:03 PM on 12/28/2011

another way is for the outside temp to be 20 degrees above average every day like in MN in December.

[gaydood]

06:53 PM on 12/28/2011

im here too! and sooo brown and dry! this is scary

[DanWJ]

01:12 PM on 12/28/2011

If you lower the temperature in your water heater too much you might get legionella bacteria in your water. 140 deg F is always safe. 120 deg F is possible for legionella to survive. It does not spread very aggressively, though, so if you prefer a lower setting just raise the water temp for a few hours, say once a week.

If everyone using the shower or bath in your household are healthy you do not need to worry much about this anyway, but people in weak health or elderly are at risk.

[ontariogirl]

12:19 PM on 12/28/2011

Shower with a friend!

[gaydood]

06:54 PM on 12/28/2011

k

[dumocraps]

11:47 AM on 12/28/2011

Like we need the Government to tell us to service our heating systems, seal drafts, install storm doors and windows. The Government should just butt out.

[baxtron]

02:04 PM on 12/28/2011

huh?

[baxtron]

02:04 PM on 12/28/2011

get them out of the traffic signal kabal also. DAMN GOVT!!!

[willowtree3]

07:34 AM on 12/28/2011

All good tips
BUT
insulation is the best tip of all, and it wasn't mentioned.
The low cost of insulation will add a lot of money to your wallet via lower heating/cooling
bills.

[Moose Luck 99]

05:30 PM on 12/27/2011

REDUCE GRID STRESS 20%!
Reduce your electric bill 20% +

Your Electric Saver 1200 saved me 28% on my electric bill!
-Ralph Escandar

http://www.electricsaver1200.com/

[Samsdog212]

04:13 PM on 12/27/2011

"Install crappy lights that give off a hazy glow reminiscent of a street lamp, and also contain mercury making them a great green option for saving our environment. Never mind that should one break you'll need to call out a hazmat team for the cleanup."

[ThinkB4Vote]

09:01 PM on 12/27/2011

When I updated my bulbs, I put an incandescent, a cfl, and an led bulb into a ceiling lamp to test this. You can't tell the difference without staring and in that case, the only difference is the shape of the afterglow burnt into your retina. If by chance you want led bulbs, make sure to check them out at the store lit because some brands don't shine 360 degrees.

More mercury makes its way into your body eating tuna than you'd inhale cleaning up a broken cfl. Unless you need to call hazmat to make tuna salad, no you don't have to call hazmat to clean up a broken bulb.

There's no risk to the environment for disposal either, you just have to be responsible. Just ask your waste disposal company where to take them for recycling, odds are local hardware stores will take them.

[Samsdog212]

10:40 PM on 12/27/2011

Uhhhhh, let's take these comments one by one. First off, don't even try to tell me these bulbs are the same. I can see an ovious difference PLUS they take time to burn brightly which I hate. Secondly, you might wanna check the clean up rules for these bulbs. You can't just pick up the mess like an ordinary bulb. There's a procedure. As for the tuna thing? I'd have to fact check that. And hey, if these bulbs are so safe? Then you'll have no problem when I, and millions of others like myself, take to the streets and smash them all across this country. I can't wait to organize that should we have regular bulbs taken away from me. We may even wear those cute little masks that the Occupy people have been wearing as they steal money from peoples bank accounts. Fight the power!

[gaydood]

06:56 PM on 12/28/2011

i use mostly incandesce­nt on a dimmer . my bill is 99 cents a day $2 a day in the summer with ac and im on 100% wind added to the grid with windsource.

[baxtron]

02:06 PM on 12/28/2011

I only install the flourescent once. the incandescents need to be replaced every 6 months. a rip off.

[gaydood]

06:58 PM on 12/28/2011

the new $16 leds are awsum and they have a $10 instant rebate so they are $6ea