Here are some energy-saving tips from Georgia Power to help you get ready for winter.
- On sunny days,open curtains and shades to let the sun warm your home naturally.
- If you have a fireplace, make sure the damper is closed when the fireplace is not in use. This will keep cold air from coming down the chimney into your home and will reduce warm air loss from your home.
- Help your heating and cooling system operate more efficiently, keeping air vents clear of obstructions such as furniture, curtains and rugs.
- Make sure the caulk and weather stripping around your windows and doors are in good shape.
- Seal around wiring and plumbing. Use caulk for small holes and expanding foam for larger areas.
- Weather-strip and insulate your attic hatch or add a thermal hood to cut down on conditioned air loss.
- Install and preset an Energy Star programmable thermostat to automatically reduce energy usage when you’re away or sleeping. Set your manual thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter, and then leave it alone. You can expect a 3 percent to 5 percent increase in energy use for every degree you set the thermostat higher in the winter.