You’ve heard the bad news already. Heating costs this winter are expected to increase by up to 70%. So, what can you do to save as much money on your home this winter as possible? You can spend some time preparing your home and yard for maximum energy savings and you can do some basic maintenance that will prevent small problems from becoming costly.

Interior of Home

Let’s start with the interior of your house. There are several things you can do that will help your home become more energy efficient and save you money.

• Check for Leaks: Experts say that “improperly sealed homes can waste 10-15% of heating money.” Check for leaks by holding the back of your hand up to the edges of doors and windows to feel for drafts. The back of your hand is more sensitive so you will be able to identify leaks easier this way. Use a quality caulking or weather stripping material to plug any drafts around doors or windows. Caulking works best when it is installed under dry conditions above 45 degrees, so wait for a warm, clear day to do this. Also, take a good look at the exterior of your home to locate drafty leaks. Caulk around any places where there is a penetration due to plumbing, wiring, or ductwork. Install door sweeps on all exterior doors to prevent under the door drafts.

Install foam gaskets behind the wall plug and switch plate covers. Each little box lets in cold air, so it makes sense to reduce the draft with an easy to install gasket that can be found at your favorite home store.

Poorly sealed ductwork can be another source of energy loss. While it is more difficult to get to, fixing unsealed seams can prevent your heat from flowing into the attic or under the house, thus wasting precious heat. Over time ductwork seams tend to come apart, especially if they were originally sealed with duct tape. Doing some detective work on you duct work and resealing seams could actually save you up to 10% on your energy bill.

While some people recommend installing plastic sheeting over your windows to prevent heat leakage, experts actually say it is better to caulk or weather strip around windows with leakage issues. The plastic sheeting, while not very attractive, makes it hard for the sun to shine through or for you see through and it actually provides little insulation value. It is probably better to remove screens for the winter so that sunlight can flow easily through, providing passive solar heating during the daylight hours. If your windows are really worn and hard to seal, it may be time to consider installing new, energy efficient models. While this is definitely an expensive option, it will pay off over time and it will enhance the overall value of your home.

Finally, check the damper on your fireplace or wood stove. Make sure that it closes completely when you are not using the fireplace or stove, otherwise it is like a large open window in the middle of your house.

• Insulation: Check the condition of the insulation in your attic. Because heat rises, the attic is an especially important area for insulation. Often, homes that are more than thirty years old have little or no insulation in the walls or ceilings. While insulating inside the walls is a major renovation project, most attics are fairly easy to access, so it is worth checking into. If you need to install attic insulation, experts recommend using R-38 in the ceilings.

Insulate your water heater to prevent unnecessary use of energy to reheat water. Set the water heater temperature to about 115-120 degrees for maximum efficiency.

• Heating: The best way to save money on your energy bill is to ensure that your heating system is working at its maximum efficiency. Unfortunately, gas furnaces that were made prior to 1977 probably only run at about 50-60 % efficiency. However, a new one runs at about 97% efficiency and can cut heating costs up to one half. So, if your furnace is an older model, this might be the best time to invest in a new one. A furnace with an electric heat pump is said to be the most efficient and can cut electricity use up to 40%.

Have your furnace serviced annually to make sure everything is working properly. Change the filter monthly and have the ductwork cleaned professionally every five years. Vacuum heater vents regularly as well. If you heat with gas, periodically check for small gas leaks around the gas pipe, by squirting soapy water on the connections and then looking for bubbles.

According the Consumer Energy Center, “it takes less energy to warm a cool home than to maintain a warm temperature all day long.” With this in mind, it is better to set your thermostat lower at night and when you’re away than to try to maintain an average temperature all the time. You can manually adjust the thermostat, or you can install a setback thermostat that is programmable. In climates where outside temperatures dip below freezing, experts recommend maintaining an inside temperature up to at least 65 degrees to prevent frozen pipes. Properly maintaining the temperature in your home can result in a savings of 20 to 75%.

Another way to improve the heating efficiency of your house is to reverse the rotation of your ceiling fans. In the summertime, the cool draft from the fans is nice, but in the winter is better to circulate the cooler air below up into the warmer air above, especially in rooms with very high ceilings.

Exterior of Home

Don’t ignore the outside of your home when winter is coming. There are several chores that need to be done to make sure your house is ready for the cold season.

• Gutters: Once the leaves from the trees have dropped from the trees in the yard, be sure to clear the gutters on the house so that water doesn’t become trapped and freeze inside, which can cause them to break or fall off.

• Chimney and Roof: Take a close look at the roof before winter. Check for missing shingles or tiles and replace if necessary. Look for nails pulling away from shingles and replace as needed. Repair any damaged flashing and caulk all holes. Making these repairs now before the winter storms arrive will prevent expensive roof leaks and repairs in the dead of winter.

Inspect the chimney and make sure that there is no build up of leaves or other organic debris that could cause a chimney fire. Install a screen over the top to keep things from collecting inside.

• Steps, Railings and Walkways: Most outdoor accidents in the wintertime are a result of falling. Before the snow flies, inspect and repair all exterior steps and handrails. Reinforce loose handrails and install non-slip stripping or texture on steps to prevent falls. Check walkways for unevenness that could cause someone to trip and make repairs as needed. Seal driveway and walkway cracks as well, so that water doesn’t collect underneath and then freeze and further damage the area.

• Drainage: Water that sits too long can damage your foundation and it can eventually find a way inside your house. Keep water from collecting and standing against the foundation by checking for proper drainage during the fall. If you notice water pooling in an area near the foundation, increase the soil level in that area to force the water to flow away from your home, or install gutter downspout extensions to ferry water further away.

• Deck: Clean your wooden deck with a cleaner designed for decking material and then give it a good coat of sealant to protect it from harsh winter conditions. Remove pots and planters for the winter because they can leave stains where they sit all winter.

• Air Conditioner: Winterize your AC by covering it, which prevents heat loss from inside the house. If your model is a through the window or wall model, it probably needs to be drained of water, so that it doesn’t freeze inside the motor. Also, drain water from any tubing or pipes so that it won’t freeze and burst. Finally, turn off water flow to the AC.

Yard and Garden

You may not spend much time outside in the yard or garden during the winter months, but taking care of the details there now, will prevent problems later and will help your garden look great next spring.

• Sprinklers and Hoses: Drain all hoses and sprinklers so they won’t freeze and break. Shut off your sprinkler system for the winter and store hoses in a shed or garage.

• Trees: Remove any dead or dying tree limbs now because stormy weather and snow or ice build up may cause branches to fall and damage your home or cause injury to people below. Prune healthy trees after leaves turn to encourage healthy growth next year.

Give your trees a healthy watering before you take in the hose and add mulch near the base of the tree. Piling mulch right on the trunk of the tree will damage it, so leave breathing room.

• Lawn and Plants: Fall is the best time to fertilize, reseed and fix bare spots in your lawn. Replace dead spots larger than two or three feed with new sod. When you do your final lawn mowing of the season, leave it at least three inches long for maximum re-growth in the spring.

Divide and replant perennials if needed. It is better to do this in the fall than the spring. Fall is also the time to plant new spring bulbs. If you had a vegetable garden, till the remaining plant material into the soil. Prune spent flower heads from flowering plants and clip any dead leaves from garden plants to prevent rotting during the winter.

• Furniture and Accessories: Wash and store or cover your patio furniture. Launder all cushions and fabric accessories and store inside, out of the weather. Clean out gas or charcoal grill, scrub grate and then cover the grill or store in the garage if you won’t be using it during the winter. Move terra cotta and ceramic pots inside the house or garage for the winter as the cold weather can cause them to crack and break.

• Tools and Equipment: Clean and oil basic gardening hand tools and store inside to prevent rusting. Change the oil in gas-powered tools and drain gas or add a gas stabilizer to keep gas fresh for up to two years. Store power equipment inside or cover loosely so that air can circulate. Service and prepare snow-blower for winter use and store snow shovel and ice-melt crystals in an easily accessible location.

Winter Emergency Supplies

Well, now that your house is ready to withstand the hardships of winter weather, make sure your family is ready as well. Prepare an emergency kit with the following items for unexpected power outages or other winter time crises. Store emergency kit where everyone can find it easily.

• Flashlight with back up batteries;
• Candles and butane lighter or matches;
• Battery powered radio with back up batteries;
• Supply of bottled water;
• Charcoal or propane tank for cooking grill;
• First aid kit;
• Traditional land-line phone that does not require electricity;
• Snow shovel, ice-melting crystals, or snow blower;
• Basic tool kit;
• Manual can opener

Take care of your home and garden this fall and it will take care of you and your family this winter.

External Links:

• Home Depot - Shop for Winter Home and Garden Supplies
• Lowes Home Improvement Center - Home and Garden Supplies