Ways to Conserve Energy During the Colder Months

If you’ve paid attention to your energy bill, you’ll notice it likely goes up during the colder months, as you might crank up the heat, turn on more lights, and take more hot baths and showers. To combat this uptick in energy use, there are several small, simple ways you can cut back on your energy consumption at home — which ultimately may reduce your monthly bill!

Keep interior doors closed. This traps heat in each room and reduces energy wasted when trying to heat the entire house.

Turn on the oven sparingly. If possible, consider cooking several meals at once to cut back on oven usage. And once you’re done, open the oven door while it cools off to use the heat to warm up your kitchen.

Turn the thermostat down just a degree or two. You can potentially save 5% of energy costs for every degree you drop your thermostat between 60 and 70 degrees. Pro Tip: Keep your thermostat at a consistent temperature to avoid expelling unnecessary energy to heat up or cool down your home.

Stock up the fridge. An empty fridge uses more energy than a full one, so keep your fridge full all season long — which works well for all the cooking you’ll be doing!

Don’t block air vents. Ensure furniture or other items are not blocking the flow of air out of your vents. They will absorb the heat and prohibit the air from flowing through your home.

Wash clothes in cold water and air dry. Wash your clothes on the cold cycle to reduce energy and save money. After all, 90% of the washing machine’s energy is spent heating the water. If space allows, air dry your clothes to limit your dryer use as well.

Turn off and unplug appliances not in use. Plugged-in appliances use energy even when they’re not in use. When you’re not using an appliance, like a toaster, TV, iron or electric kettle, ensure it is either completely turned off or unplugged.

Use your curtains wisely. Keep your curtains wide open to let in light and warmth, then close them once it starts getting dark out to trap it in. This is a natural way to heat your home.

Insulate your attic. Heat rises, so trap heat in your attic by insulating it properly. You may want to hire a professional to evaluate your attic’s insulation needs.

Check for air leaks and cover any holes. Check for small holes or cracks around doors and windows that allow cold air to enter and warm air to escape. Install weather stripping and proper insulation to plug them up.

Properly block your chimney. Minimize drafts entering your home by blocking your chimney with an inflatable chimney balloon or a chimney cap.

Switch the direction of your ceiling fan’s blade rotation. Hot air rises, so reverse your fan’s blades to rotate clockwise, which will push the warm air back down.

Switch out your old bulbs with LED bulbs. Upgrade your light bulbs — and holiday string lights — to energy-efficient LED bulbs. They use 75% less energy than traditional bulbs and can save you a significant amount of money in the long run.