Reduce Utility Costs During the Cold Season

Save money on your heating bill.

    Horizon Insurance wants to help you save money. Follow these 10 tips to help you reduce utility costs during the cold season.

Home Savings Tip 1: Lower the thermostat on your water heater, use cold settings for laundry and run shorter dishwasher cycles. You'll save 3% to 5% in energy costs for every ten degrees you reduce your water temperature.

Home Savings Tip 2: Keep drafts at bay by placing plastic around all your windows and towels or draft stoppers at the bottom of each outside door. Also check electrical outlets and switch-plates for cold air leaks and cover any with inexpensive foam sealing from your local hardware store.

Home Savings Tip 3: Insulate your hot water heater with a pre-cut jacket or blanket from your local hardware store. You'll reduce heat loss by 25% to 45% and save about 4% to 9% in water heating costs.

Home Savings Tip 4: Install a programmable thermostat in your home and set lower while you are asleep or away. The savings is as much as 1% for each lowered degree if the setback time is eight hours long.

Home Savings Tip 5: Have a professional tune your furnace annually to keep it clean, lubricated and properly adjusted. This will increase furnace life, reduce energy and save up to 5% on heating bills.

Home Savings Tip 6: Check if your ceiling fan comes with a switch that can reverse the direction of the blades. Rotating counterclockwise moves cooler air. Changing the rotation to clockwise will circulate warmer air pooled near the ceiling back down into your living area, cutting your heating costs.

Home Savings Tip 7: Hang insulated drapes to help keep warm air inside and frosty drafts out.

Home Savings Tip 8: Insulate water pipes using a quality wrap, taping strips of fiberglass insulation or pipe sleeves of polyethylene or neoprene foam. This can raise the water temperature 2 to 4 degrees more quickly, helping conserve water.

Home Savings Tip 9: Trim back any bushes or trees that block sunlight from your windows.

Home Savings Tip 10: Create a "warm room" by closing heating vents in unused areas. Just remember to allow enough heat in closed-off rooms to prevent pipes from freezing.

There it is. Follow these 10 steps and you'll be saving not only energy but a chunk of change on your energy bill.

Did you know Horizon Income can save you money on your insurance bill also? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Call 1(866) 479-2777 and we'll save you money today.

http://horizonincome.com/
http://horizonincome.com/homeowners.html
http://horizonincome.com/condo+insurance.html
http://horizonincome.com/renters+insurance.html