Yesterday as I was picking several of my still-green tomatoes so they wouldn’t be ruined by a frost and putting them inside a paper bag so they’d ripen, I started thinking.  It is getting cold, and with that I wanted to share a few of the things I have learned about heating bills.

So, I have to say, I am amazed at the ROI and impact of some of the energy saving home products.  When you consider that 45% of the energy bill for a home goes to heating/cooling the air and an average home will spend over $2K/year on their energy bill, it makes sense to focus here if you want to save money and lower their environmental impact. 

With this in mind, there are a lot of items that can impact this...as you look at the image, you probably already know how effective programable thermostats can be, but you may not know how great a few other items can be:  weather stripping, curtains, and air filters. 

Weather stripping can save normal customers $200/year on their bills.  There is a caveat though, it has to be installed properly.  On that note, I have been really excited to see that buyer and Henkel have done a really good job of changing the packaging.  Turn over the package for weather stripping, and I think you’ll be surprised at how good the instructions are now.  That might sound kind of silly, I know, but I really think that was the big obstacle…helping people feel comfortable that they can do it correctly.

Curtains are one a lot of people don’t think about …and there is a new “Eclipse” curtain that is especially good.  This curtain reduces light and even noise, but it also helps to trap any cold air that seeps in thru the windows.  I had this kind of curtain last winter, and there was a noticeable difference in temperature when you put your hand between the window and closed curtain. 

Finally, just like in your car, clean air filters in your house are very important to keeping energy costs down.  Your furnace is probably running now quite a bit, and keeping the filter clean makes it easier for the air to pass thru.  This means your system needs less energy to pull that air in, and of course this helps you keep the air cleaner in the house.   Personally, I try to remember to change the filters every 3 months…but my wife is better at remembering than I am.