Year Round Energy Savings

(HIT) - Do you know the largest energy user in your home? If you answered the heating and cooling system, you’re right, according to Edison Electric Institute. Typically, about half the money you spend on energy each month goes toward keeping your home warm in the winter or cool in the summer. The good news is that getting more value from your heating and cooling bill might be easier than you think.

One easy step to save money on your heating/cooling bill is to set the thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. For each degree you turn the thermostat up in the summer and down in the winter, you’ll save about 2-3 percent on your heating/cooling costs.

Other tips to lower your heating/cooling bills include:

• Give your furnace/heat pump/air conditioner a tune-up each year (up to 15 percent).
• Clean/replace the system’s air filter each month (up to 5 percent).
• In the winter, keep the curtains open on sunny days and close them in the summer (2-12 percent).
• Caulk and weatherstrip around windows and doors (2-8 percent).
• Shut the door and close the vent in unused rooms (2-3 percent).

For a free booklet, "More than 100 Ways to Improve Your Electric Bill", as well as information about making your entire home more energy efficient, please visit www.eei.org/wiseuse.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center