Saving Energy this Winter
It is officially fall and in the next few weeks the temperatures should be dropping drastically giving us cooler days. It doesn't mean we should turn around and start blasting the heat! For many people, this is when their electric bills drop drastically, while the air conditioners start getting their much-earned rest. This time on the Budget Blinds of Scottsdale blog, we’re going to talk about how to ride the cool temps to lower bills and save energy this winter!
How to Save Energy This Winter
Lower Your Thermostat
At this point it’s probably unnecessary to even mention but hey, lower your thermostat, save energy (and save on some bills while you’re at it!). Many people enjoy having their air conditioning turned off completely during the winter and bundling up when they need to get warm, that -will- save you a ton.
But not everybody can do that or are willing to, we get it! So if you’re switching to heating this winter, see if you can still carve out some time where you can keep the thermostat lower. You can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling by reducing your thermostat by 7-10 degrees for 8 hours a day, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
So, if you’d like to keep your thermostat around 80, lower it to 72 or lower for a portion of the day - doing it while you’re away at work is a great way to stay comfortable and keep your energy low.
If your home has a smart thermostat, you may be able to program the temperature change or control it through your phone, making it even easier to manage the energy use.
Install New Window Treatments to Save Energy
That’s right your windows are critical to managing energy usage! Windows are huge gaps in your home’s insulation, letting heat escape. The U.S. Department of Energy reported up to 25% of a home's heating bill can be attributed to having to reheat due to energy lost through windows alone. That’s no good!
Those old windows may not be built to conserve energy like you need. Here at Budget Blinds Scottsdale, we have a range of window coverings that can all help you conserve energy this winter.
Energy-Saving Blinds and Curtains
Blinds and curtains are a huge way to conserve energy without breaking the bank. They manage light, they can block They are effective at keeping light and energy in, while blocking drafts and the sun.
The material and the design is key to cost-effective interior design. Some materials, such as cellular shades or drapes, offer the best energy efficiency and insulation. To find the right style for your home, schedule a free consultation.
Control The Amount of Light That Comes Through
Sunlight is the number one thing that heats up your home during the day. Two things here, during winter we’ll be getting a lot less of it, but we’ll be craving what we get more than usual! So in this case controlling the light is more difficult than in the summer when you just want to block out as much as you can. To help conserve energy, rely on sunlight to warm up your home!
In the morning, open up your window blinds or drapes to the south and east facing windows and let the sun come in. This is known as passive solar heating and is known to increase thermal mass in your interior design!
Close them back up when it starts to get dark to provide another layer of insulation between the inside and outside, keeping the warmth inside and the cold out.
Automate Your Blinds
So a lot of what we have talked about in the past couple points has been managing you window coverings to leverage those big spots of decreased insulation, letting the heat in from the sun when you can and closing them back up when the temperatures change to trap the warmth in. So how can you optimize that even further? Easy. Automate your windows! Automatic Blinds will allow you hands-free control of when your shades or blinds are open and closed throughout the day, even more than hands-free, you don’t even have to be home! You can set a schedule that works without any further input from you, maximizing the amount of sunlight you let get in.
Work with Budget Blinds Scottsdale today to get the best window coverings for your home and conserve energy as you need! The Linnemeyers are here and waiting to help you find the perfect solution for you.
