In the average American home approximately 55% of the annual energy bill goes towards heating and cooling in Chicago, which adds up to a lot of money but it does not have to be that way. The homeowner does not have to be at the mercy of the climate, with just a little bit of time and energy over a weekend, there is a lot of little things that can be done.
Before it’s necessary to even open the toolbox, there are certain things that can be done which take nothing more than a conscious desire to reduce the heating and cooling Chicago area costs.
Turn down the thermostat: Just remember this little rule of thumb every time you think it’s just a bit to chilly in the room; every degree that you set back on the thermostat saves you three percent on the heating bill. A simple calculation indicates that if the thermostat is dropped by 10 degrees at bed time and while you’re at work, 16 hours a day, the energy savings is a cool 14 percent annually.
Use fans: Exhausts fans can dispel the heat that accumulates in the kitchen while cooking in an hour. Use them wisely in the summer to reduce your cooling bill.
Close the fireplace damper: Leaving the damper open is akin to having a big hole in the roof of your house. Hot air rises so limit the amount of times the fireplace is lit, you will actually loose precious heat rather than heat the room.
Turn down the temperature of the water: You will notice little change, if any, to your comfort by dropping the water temperature to 120 degrees. You will notice a pleasant drop in your power bill.
Use curtains: During the day open the curtains on the south side of the house to let the thermal properties of the sun work for you. At night close all the curtains to contain the heat from any source.
These are a few of the free tricks that can help reduce your energy bill. The best DIY thing you can do on the weekend is to go around your home and identify where there are leaks. The smallest gaps under doors or around windows can rob the house of a great deal of heat, plug them and save money.
