Simple Ways to Reduce Energy this Winter

Dahlonega and Dawsonville Georgia's hot, humid summer came to an abrupt end recently and left many of us scrambling for sweaters. Cooler weather has me evaluating my home and simple ways to reduce energy and cost this upcoming winter.

• The best place to start when trying to maintain heat in your home is the insulation. Insure that your homes attic, floors, crawl space and wood frame wall cavity is insulated with the appropriated R-Value insulation. There are many ratings out there and unless you purchase a home from an Energy Star Program builder, chances are your home has lower level R rated insulation.

The US Department of Energy provides a calculator to determine which R-Value Recommendations is best for your home using your location and home type: www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs%2Bwalls/insulation

• Turning down your thermostat 2 degrees is a proven way to save energy and cost that will definitely add up over time. Average savings is about 24 kilowatt hours a month; this is the equivalent to burning a CFL light bulb for roughly 1000 hours. Buying a programmable thermostat can help you reduce energy and save money.

• Calking your home is another critical key to insuring that your home is protected against air leaks that can zap your energy saving efforts. Checking around air vents, wiring, plumbing pipes and most importantly, windows is key. If your windows aren't double-paned, placing plastic on your exterior windows can make a big difference in your comfort and energy bill this year.

Insuring that faucets aren't leaking and replacing old shower heads with low flow options and lowering hot water heaters are just some of the other things you can do to boost energy saving efforts.

Picking a few weekend projects to start this time of year can prepare you for winter and reward you with great savings!