Fall & Winter Tips

• Turn off kitchen, bath or other fans within 20 minutes of cooking or bathing to retain heated air
• Schedule regular maintenance checkups and clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed
• Insulate walls and heating ducts in attics and crawlspaces and keep them in good repair to prevent heat loss of up to 60% at registers
• Open draperies and blinds of the windows in direct sunlight to naturally heat your home during the day and keep them closed at night to keep heat in
• Install weather stripping or caulking around the windows, doors, and thresholds to seal air leaks
• Consider adding insulated window treatments
• Install ceiling fans to help circulate warm air
• Repair leaky faucets promptly
• Install aerating, low faucets and showerheads
• Take more showers than baths
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes
• Turn lights off when leaving the room
• Use compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) rather than incandescent light bulbs in common areas
• Set refrigerator temperature to 37-40 degrees
• Install low cost fire place modifications (such as a flue-top damper, fireplace grate or glass doors
• Upgrade your equipment to systems that are ENERGYSTAR® rated