Are you tired of high energy bills for heating your home? There is no reason to put up with high energy bills for another year. There are many energy efficient home heating options on the market including high efficiency furnaces and heat pumps that are much more efficient than those sold 15 years ago. If you have an older model furnace or heat pump in your home, replacing it with a new high efficiency furnace or heat pump will save you a bundle. Your new furnace may even pay for itself in less than 10 years.
If you already have an energy efficient heat pump or furnace, look around your home for sources of heat loss and air leakage. Folding attic stairs are a commonly overlooked source of heat loss. Since there is no insulation at the attic stairs, heat can leak out into your attic especially if the door is not sealed properly. You can install an attic stair cover that will eliminate this problem.
Fireplace dampers are another overlooked source of heat loss. Leaving your fireplace damper open in the winter is almost the same as leaving a window open and can drive up your heating costs by as much as 20% to 30%. At a minimum, close the damper when the fireplace is not in use. Better yet, install a draft stopper to further reduce heat loss through the fireplace.
Dryer vents typically just have a thin uninsulated metal flap to reduce air leakage. Not only does this flap allow heat to escape, it is often stuck open by lint allowing warm air to flow out of your home. An easy and inexpensive solution is to install a dryer vent seal.
