Winter Home Energy Saving Tips

Winter Home Energy Saving Tips

When it comes to home energy, the winter months can be rough on any budget and any home. If you’reCheck out our winter home energy tips. thinking about building a custom home or already living in your dream home, there are plenty of winter home energy saving tips that you can implement this year and every year moving forward.

Home Energy Saving Tips

Take advantage of the natural heat from the sun.

If you’re still in the planning stages for your custom home, it’s a great idea to include south facing windows. The sun shines brightly in the south during the winter months, so your house will feel warmer because of the natural light. Not to mention your heating system won’t have to work quite as hard to maintain the warmer internal temperatures during those bright sunny days. The sunshine streaming in the windows will also help you soak up as much Vitamin D as you can, which will help you fight off those winter blues.

Set your thermostat lower when you’re sleeping or away.

It might not sound like much fun, but lowering the thermostat part of the time will help you not only save money, but it will help your home’s heating system to not have to work as hard. Lowering the temperature of your home by 10 degrees for 8 hours a day can result in a 10% savings per year. It’s best to only lower the thermostat when you’re away or while you’re sleeping and snuggled up under the covers. You can program most custom home thermostats on a scheduled delay, which means you can set the temperature to increase right before you get home and before you get up. You’ll never even know the home was cooler.

Schedule your home heating system to be serviced in the fall.

This one can’t be repeated enough. To maintain your home’s heating system, it really should be inspected and serviced every year by a professional. Changing out the filter isn’t enough to keep your system running at peak performance. A professional will check the wiring, the functionality, and even be able to clean out the ductwork to ensure consistent, quality heat is dispersed throughout your home.

Use ceiling fans to increase the airflow and circulation throughout the house.

Ceiling fans may not look as aesthetically pleasing as some other light fixture choices, but they do help increase airflow and circulation in custom homes. During the winter months, the heat in your home will rise to the upper floors. You can help keep these rooms more comfortable by circulating the air. Plus, unless you zone every single room with it’s own thermostat, the ceiling fans will help circulate the warm air to every part of your home.

If you decorate for the holidays, be sure to use LED lights.

Decorating for the holidays is always fun. The different colored lights strung on the outside of your home, around trees, and throughout the house seem to fill the air with joy. However, these lights can be a drain on your home’s energy. One way to combat that drain is to use LED lights. While they have a slightly higher upfront cost, these lights last longer and use less energy to lift your holiday spirit.

Want even more ideas for your custom home? Be sure to check out our free e-book, “Tips For Building Your Custom Home,” is full of great advice on getting started, what to expect, and how to hire the right builder for the job.

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