Use Your Windows to Help You Save Money

Electricity bills are always their lowest in the fall and spring, and your windows can help make them even lower and and help you to lower your bills this winter.

• This winter open your blinds and curtains on sunny days, allowing the sun to warm your home, and close them at night to keep the cool out.
• On mild days open your windows. Where I live at this time of year the weather can be unpredictable. In the morning I'm wearing a jogging suit and in the afternoon I may be wearing shorts. Rather than using your heating/cooling system, opening your windows can help you to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home. The sun helps to heat your home, and opening the windows allows a breeze to blow in, cooling your home and also airing your house out.
• Repair cracked windows. You can save energy and money by making sure that your home is properly sealed. Check your windows for cracks, and repair them with caulk and weather stripping.
• Replace old windows. According to the Alliance to Save Energy (ase.org) you should replace old, rattling single-pane windows. Old single-pane windows do not properly insulate homes. Replacing them can not only help reduce your heating/cooling bills, but it will also help reduce your risk of condensation and reduce the risk of the sun fading out your furniture and other fabrics.
• Buy "black out" curtains. Black out curtains help to keep light out of your home. They can also help to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.