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One of the nightmares of every homeowner is watching electricity rates soar as winter arrives. Luckily, there are lots of tricks that you can use to cut back on your energy usage. Here are 7 creative ways to save money while still staying warm this winter. Use Your Heat Wisely Don’t let all your heat go to waste if you’re not at home or don’t use all the rooms in your house. Turn your thermostat down slightly when you’re away at work. You can use a programmable thermostat that automatically raises the temperature when you’re about to return. Block off the rooms of your house that you don’t use so the heat can stay concentrated in the rest of the building. If you need new furnace installation in Minneapolis, find an energy efficient system and make sure it is the correct size for your house. Stay Active Although it may be more challenging to exercise during the winter, keeping your blood flowing is a good way to stay warmer. Go for a walk if it isn’t too cold outside, or take up a winter sport like snowshoeing or skiing. Or find exercises you can do at home or in a nearby gym, such as walking on a treadmill or weightlifting. Layer Up It’s cheaper to warm you than it is to warm your whole house. Wear extra layers while you’re at home, and you won’t need to set the thermostat quite so high. Warm hats, vests, and sweaters all help trap your body heat so that you stay warmer, especially as you move around. Focus on keeping your head and chest warm, in particular, and your whole body will feel warmer. At night, pile on the extra blankets in bed and snuggle in for a cozy sleep. Use Your Ceiling Fan Many people don’t realize ceiling fans can help to keep your house warm as well as cool. Because warm air rises, a ceiling fan running on a low speed helps push it back down into the main part of the room. However, your ceiling fan has to run clockwise, the reverse of its warm-weather direction. Check your fan for a switch that will let you change the direction in which the blades spin. Start Baking Winter is a great time to break out all your favorite recipes. Using the oven will heat your kitchen for hours and reduce your heating system’s workload. It can even help heat your whole house if it’s not too large. And of course, the hot meals you create help warm you from the inside out! Avoid Alcohol Although you may enjoy spiking your eggnog or hot chocolate, alcohol is not a good drink if you want to stay warm. Although alcohol may make you feel temporarily warmer, it actually lowers your core body temperature, so you will feel chillier faster. If you’re going to drink, wait until you’re out at a warm bar or restaurant to do so. Keep Your Home Insulated Before winter arrives, inspect your home for cracks around your windows, doors, and roof that allow warm air to escape. You can patch most of these cracks yourself with caulk or weatherstripping. Cover your windows with heavier curtains to prevent heat from transferring through the glass. If you live in a particularly cold area, consider installing additional insulation in your walls. During your furnace installation in Minneapolis, make sure your ducts are well insulated as well. The more warm air you can trap in your home, the fewer drafts you’ll have to put up with and the warmer your home will stay all winter long. Total Comfort http://tcomfort.com/heating/ provides integrated solutions for all of your home comfort issues from furnace installations to maintenance and repairs. Contact furnace installation in Minneapolis today!
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