Winter Budget Strategies
Whether we like it or not, here in Chicago, it is truly cold outside and inside. It’s time to think about turning on the heat and keeping our homes nice and warm. Here are just a few ways to trim your winter heating budget down:
1. Get your furnace cleaned. The money invested on the cleaning will come back on the savings of the heating bill. Here’s why: If you have a forced air gas furnace and your heat exchangers are dirty at all, there is less energy efficiency when heating your home during Chicago’s cold winter months and the lack of proper maintenance wears your furnace down much faster causing your furnace to fail before it really should.
2. There is a reason why Chicago is called “the Windy City”. If you have older Chicago style windows, one of the things I have suggested for my clients to do is (a) either replace the windows with more energy efficient ones; (b) if you can’t afford to replace your windows, the I suggest they can do three small things to minimize the heat loss during the winter time:
a. purchase a roll of thin 1” flat insulation and measure it the width of the bottom of your window sill. Place that thin insulation strip at the bottom of your window and it will remedy a significant amount of heat loss as that is one of the biggest perpetrators when it comes to loosing heat.
b. Replace your window sill locks! Think about this… you notice that the two window panes don’t pull together and there is no way that that lock that keeps the windows secured is helping you in any way to stop the loss of heat. Go out and but pressure window locks. Unscrew the old lock hinges and install the new pressure window locks that actually pull to the windows together and tight. A lot cheaper and the savings will be paid off from your first heating bill!
c. Seal your windows with a removable caulk. You can find it at your local Home Depot.
3. Use your wood or gas burning fireplace when at all possible. Using your fireplace is more efficient in heating your home and will save on your heating bill.
I hope these simple strategies will get you moving in the right direction to keep you warm yet save you some money this coming winter
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