Home >Article >Keep Your Home Warm and Energy Efficient

Keep Your Home Warm and Energy Efficient

Jan 11, 2013

When you feel chilly you can put on a sweater, but when your home is chilly…that’s a really big sweater! How do you keep your home warm? The same way you keep a person warm.

Think of that big woolly sweater as proper insulation. No matter what part of the country you live in, having the right R-value of insulation is important. Insulation is the protective layer between your home and the elements. Every exterior wall of your home should be insulated. If you have a room over your garage or in your attic, those are two places very commonly overlooked for insulation.

They say the majority of your heat is lost through your head, so don’t forget your hat, or in your home’s case, your roof! Your roof doesn’t just keep rain off, it also keeps rising warm air inside your home from escaping. More heat stays inside, and your furnace doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.

You wouldn’t be warm if you wore a sweater full of holes, and your home can’t stay warm if there are tiny gaps around windows and doors letting warm air out and cold air in.

  • Hold your hand around the edges of windows and doors to see if you have air leaks.
  • Foggy, frosty windows are a sign that outside cold air is leaking in through tiny gaps around your windows.
  • Add a rubber gasket behind light switches and electrical outlet cover plates on exterior walls to reduce or eliminate warm air loss.

A programmable thermostat can be your best ally in extreme winter cold. Simply program it to the temperature you want at the time you want it, and your thermostat will do all the work. Set your thermostat to your ideal temperature when you’re at home and awake, then set it back when you’re away or asleep.

  • Override your settings when you have guests over—especially if you’re making a big dinner in your oven.
  • Take turns hosting potluck dinners or games nights with friends for a great way to reduce the power usage at your home, even for a night.

There are lots of things you can do to pinpoint those sources of cold invading your home and to keep your home warm this winter. See our infographic for more helpful tips. Find a RESNET certified home energy rater in your area to have a professional help you keep your home warm!