12 Cost-Saving Ways to Save on Heating Bills

NOVEC says prepare for winter now!  
 

MANASSAS, Va. – Winter is coming, and the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative says now is the time to prepare homes for cold weather and higher heating bills.

“Remember 2 ½ feet of snow last January?” asks Bob James, NOVEC energy specialist. “People on the Eastern Seaboard used a lot of energy to stay warm during Winter Storm Jonas. We don’t know what winter will bring this year, but we do know heating systems will work hard.”

James urges everyone to prepare for winter weather in October – National Energy Action Month – before Old Man Winter shows up again and makes energy use soar.

“It’s important to plug air leaks,” James explains. “They can account for 35 percent of annual energy loss. Do it now before the temperature drops. You don’t want to apply caulk and weatherstripping when it’s below 40 degrees.”

James says homeowners can learn how to weatherize their homes at www.novec.com/save and http://energy.gov/energysaver. If they are not do-it-yourselfers, homeowners can go to NOVEC’s Online Energy Playbook at www.novec.com/energyplaybook and see a list of local residential energy auditors who have given their contact information to the Co-op.

12 Cost-Saving Ways to Prepare for Winter

1. Wash windows to let sunshine help heat the home.
2. Close storm windows and lock regular windows when cold weather arrives.
3. Since glass is the coldest interior surface in winter, insulate windows with curtains and other treatments. Close them at night. As an extra wind barrier, adhere plastic — available in kits at hardware and home stores — to interior window frames.
4. Apply weather-stripping around drafty windows and exterior doors.
5. Attach insulating door sweeps to block cold air from seeping under door thresholds. 
6. Install an attic-entrance insulating cover.
7. Remove old, cracked caulk and apply new silicone or latex caulk with a caulking gun around windows, doors, and fireplace hearths. Spray expandable foam around pipes, wires, and vents that go outside.
8. Insert foam rubber pads under wall-outlet and switch covers, and use child-protection outlet covers to stop drafts.
9. Replace air-system filters frequently, according to manufacturer’s instructions. A dirty filter restricts air flow and makes the system work harder. 
10. Have a heating-and-cooling contractor inspect the heating system.
11. Install glass doors over an open fireplace. Close the damper and glass doors when the fireplace is not in use to prevent as much as 14 percent of heated air from going up the chimney flue. 
12. Install R38 to R60 insulation – either in rolls or loose – between attic joists. Professionals can insulate existing walls and crawl spaces.

When cold weather arrives, James says, “Set the furnace thermostat at 68 degrees or lower, but leave a heat pump thermostat at a constant setting most of the time to avoid using expensive resistance heating.” He also reminds people with garage doors to close them to keep cold air from penetrating indoors.

About NOVEC

NOVEC, headquartered in Manassas, Va., is a not-for-profit electric utility corporation that supplies and distributes electricity and energy-related services to more than 163,000 metered customers in Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford, and Clarke counties, the Town of Clifton, and the City of Manassas Park. It is one of the largest electric companies of its kind in the nation. For more information, visit www.novec.com or call 703-335-0500 .