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The huge snowstorm we had on the weekend reminds us here in Halton Region that we have a few months of winter weather to anticipate.  (This beautiful photo – Lone Tree in Winter – was taken by my friend Ashley Hockenberry.  Not entirely relevant to the topic at hand, but I wanted to share it with you anyway.)

Now that winter is here, being wise about controlling heating costs and minimizing wasted energy are a concern for many of us.

Here are some ways to maximize warmth in your home this winter, and reduce heating costs. 

1.  Dress warmly indoors.   When I was a child living in Scotland, most people didn’t have central heating.  We were in the habit of dressing warmly or wearing a sweater around the house, thick socks or slippers.

2.  Adjust your home thermostat. A good rule of thumb:  Set your thermostat at 21°C when you’re home awake, 18°C when you’re sleeping and 15°C when you’re out of the house.  Consider purchasing a programmable thermostat to reduce you heating bill by as much as 20 per cent. 

3.  Let the sun shine in: While up to 25 per cent of your home’s heat is lost through its windows, they are also a source of solar warmth. During daylight hours, keep your drapes open and let the sun help heat your home. In winter, open the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house (the south-facing side) when the sun is shining and close them as soon as the sun goes down to retain the solar heat. Close curtains on the shady side of the house (north-facing side).

4.  If you don’t have curtains, you may consider installing some. Curtains made from heavy fabric with lots of folds (fullness) can prevent cold air from seeping in and warm air from seeping out, which reduces your heating costs.

5.  Insulate your windows with plastic window film to reduce heat loss by 50 per cent,  For a good source of window film information and installation, contact www.allprotint.ca and chat with Janet Johnson, right here in Oakville.   

6.  Check to see where draughts may be coming in.  Caulk, seal and weather strip around windows and doorframes, baseboards, ducting and electrical outlets, as well as fireplaces to save up to 20 per cent on your heating bill.

7.  Remember to close your fireplace flue when you’re not enjoying a fire. 

8.  Close interior doors leading to hallways or stairways to keep the heat where it’s needed most.  Don’t heat areas of your house you don’t use regularly, such as guest rooms. Close heating vents or turn back thermostats in those areas and close the doors for a painless reduction in heating costs

9.  Did you know a bathroom fan can suck all the heated air out of the average house in little more than an hour? Over the course of the winter, ventilation fans can increase your heating costs by a surprising amount.  Use both bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans more sparingly in winter. 

10.  Keep your furnace, heat pump, or other heating equipment in top operating condition. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of your furnace or heat pump. Poorly tuned units are inefficient and use more fuel. An annual maintenance agreement is well worth the money to ensure that your equipment is properly maintained and will last as long as possible.  

Do you have any other winter energy conservation tips to share?  Use the comments button to pass them on!