The weather has started to drop and people are beginning to crank their thermostats. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help when it comes to budgeting and saving money throughout the winter. It’s important to make sure your lakefront home at the Lake of the Ozarks is ready for the winter and the colder weather. Mission Bay has a simple guide with tips for winterizing your home all while saving money on your energy bill.
Caulk Any Gaps and Seals
Problem: Small gaps in windows, doors, or cracks in the walls are letting the cool air in and letting your warm air escape. This makes your furnace work harder and raises your energy bill.
Solution: You can test gaps to see which ones need to be sealed. Have a friend stand outside the suspected window or door with a blow dryer while you hold a lit candle inside. If the blow dryer blows the candle out, then you know you need to seal up those cracks. You should also check the caulk around your windows and doors outside to see if they’ve deteriorated over time.
Savings: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you will save up to 30% of energy use annually by sealing up drafts.
Dodge the Draft
Problem: Cold air is rushing in from underneath your door. Where cold air is rushing in, warm air is usually rushing out.
Solution: The draft snake, which was adopted during the Great Depression era, is one of the easiest ways to cut back on energy waste. You can easily create your own draft snake at home by rolling up a towel or filling a pouch of fabric with sand or kitty litter. If you’re not interested in creating your own, you can always purchase one that is already made.
Control Your Thermostat
Problem: You want your home to be warm and cozy, so you keep your thermostat set high at all times. Not only is your thermostat working hard, but your wallet is also suffering from the high energy bill.
Solution: Turn your thermostat down when you are asleep or when you leave the house. You won’t be able to enjoy the warmer temperature when you’re not even home. Another money saving idea is to get a smart or programmable thermostat. This allows you to control your thermostat from your phone.Change the Direction of Your Ceiling Fans
Problem: The air from your furnace rises towards the ceiling, leaving colder air towards the ground. Even though your furnace is on, your house may not be as warm as you want it.
Solution: If you have any ceiling fans inside your home, then you should change their direction in the wintertime. Counter-clockwise rotation in the summer because it produces a cooling breeze and clockwise rotation in the winter because it pushes warm air back down.
Savings: According to the Daily Green, this method can help cut your heating costs by 10%.
It’s important to make sure your lakefront home at the Lake of the Ozarks is prepared for winter. The temperature may be dropping, but that doesn’t mean your energy bill needs to skyrocket. We hope these tips from Mission Bay will help keep your home warm and your energy bill low.
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Camdenton, MO 65020
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Phone: (573) 346-6600
237 Mission Bay Blvd.
Camdenton, MO 65020
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