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Making your home more energy efficient can save you money while helping conserve natural resources.  Most of us are willing to perform energy efficient practices we just don’t always know which ones can actually make the biggest difference.  Below is a list of problem areas around your home and solutions that can have a large affect on the energy efficiency of your home.

• Cooling and heating costs are wasted by drafts at door and windows.  Apply weather stripping or replace weather stripping that is worn out.  If you cannot weather strip for whatever reason, at least try to block off the drafts as best you can.  Heavy drapes at all windows and the patio door can help.  Also blockers such as the bean bag snakes at the bottom of outside doors.
• Lack of maintenance on your heating and cooling system.  If you are not having your heating and cooling system maintained and cleaned by a professional at least once a year you are wasting energy.  Your system can work up to 40% less efficiently when it is not serviced.  This not only wastes energy, but also costs you more in higher utility bills.
• Replace standard bulbs with fluorescent ones.  Although these are more expensive than regular ones, they use less energy and last longer, so over time they will more than pay for themselves.
• Water heaters in most homes are set too high.  This is not only unnecessary, but can pose a hazard in homes where there are young children.  Having tap water delivered that is scalding hot wastes energy – twice.  First, the energy needed to bring the water to temperature is wasted, because it is too hot.  Then, before it can be used for baths or showers, cold water has to be added to cool it down. Although some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140ºF, most households only require them set at 120ºF.
• Check your attic insulation, especially if you have an older home.  Insulation products of today have greatly improved over what they were 20 to 30 years ago.  You should check to see not only what type of insulation is present but also how much there is.  If it is not adequate, replace or supplement it.  Blown in insulation is a great way to insulate your attic and decrease the heat loss that can escape through your ceiling.
• Programmable thermostats are a good investment.  These can be programmed to adjust the temperature setting in your home to conserve energy when you are asleep or away from home.  Then, before you return home, they adjust the setting again to make sure that when you arrive back home you arrive to comfortable temperatures.
• How you use your energy is also important.  Turn lights off when you are leaving a room, whether you are going out of the room or leaving for the evening.  Don’t run partial loads of dishes or clothing.  Skip the preheat cycle on the oven, except where food requires it.  In the winter, put on socks or a sweater instead of raising the thermostat, and in the summer, use fans for additional cooling.
• Close the damper on your fireplace.  With the cold temperatures we’ve had and the holidays just behind us, make sure that the damper is closed on your fireplace.  Oftentimes homeowners don’t remember to close the damper after they’ve used it for the holidays or just to warm up on one of these cold days we’ve had.  It is forgotten and gets left open for the rest of the heating season.  This is really wasteful!