General Conservation Tips:
Close draperies at night and on cloudy days and open them on sunny
days.
Trim or remove evergreens and shrubs that block out the sun, but
only if they are not needed more for summer shade or as a windscreen.
Use a sunny room as living space to read the paper or eat a meal
on sunny, cold days. Upholstered furniture will soak up the heat
when placed in a sunny spot.
Install your storm doors and windows.
Purchase plastic window covering kits or interior storm window kits.
Carefully follow instructions.
Seal doors with draft-reducing weather-stripping and door sweeps.
Lower your thermostat to 65 degrees while you're away during the
day.
Use more blankets in bed at night to keep your body warm enough
without warming your whole home.
Replace furnace filters regularly.
Dress warm. Wear layers of clothing, such as a sweater over a shirt
over an undershirt. This insulates the air trapped between the layers.
Lower the water heater thermostats to the lowest level that meets
your hot water needs (midway between the "low" and "medium"
settings on many units). Each decrease of 10 degrees saves five
percent on water heating costs. |
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Zone
Heating Tips:
Use zone heating in areas of the home where you spend most of your
time (such as the downstairs), by using an approved and properly
installed space heater. Close the unoccupied rooms that are isolated
from the warm zone and turn down the house's central heating system
to 55 degrees. However, do not close off rooms so tightly that you
prevent air from reaching gas-fueled water heaters, furnaces, ranges
or other gas-fueled appliances. This could create an unsafe build-up
of carbon monoxide that can be fatal. You need to ensure those appliances
are exposed to adequate air circulation.
Make sure the unused space gets enough heat in winter to prevent
plaster from cracking or pipes from freezing.
Most of the air supply registers on a heat pump system should remain
at least partially open to avoid damage to the system.
FOR YOUR SAFETY:
Remember to keep all heat sources at least three feet from walls,
drapes, furniture, or other flammable objects, and avoid using an
extension cord with heat sources. Follow all safety tips provided
with your heater
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