Energy Efficient Tips for Your Home This Winter

It’s the season to spend cozily indoors with friends and family. At Clayton, we want to ensure your winter is filled with memories of family and fun, not worrying about utility bills. This is why our homes include energy efficient features like smart thermostats, Rheem® dual water heaters, low-E windows and quality insulation.

In addition, consider these energy efficiency tips to make sure your home is ready for winter, conserving energy and helping you save as you transition from fall!

1. Monitor Your Thermostat

All of our new Clayton homes have ecobee smart thermostats, making it easy to adjust the temperature of your home throughout the day, even when you’re not there. Smart thermostats learn your schedule and will automatically turn the temperature up or down to help save energy. You can also control your thermostat using your smartphone.

According to the Department of Energy, the ideal temperature for your heater in the winter is around 68 degrees. For every degree above 68, 3-5% more energy is used. You can consider turning your heat down during the day if you’re not at home, or at night while you sleep snug under warm covers.

2. Shut the Front Door

And the back door, and the garage door, too. I know this seems like common sense, but leaving your doors open or cracked can impact your utility bill. Fortunately, all Clayton homes are built with quality insulation, along with a thermal and moisture envelope, to help keep heat in. This helps your energy costs stay down and keeps your home comfortable all year long – but if your doors are open, your warm air is going to escape out of them.

3. Let the Sun Do the Work

Take advantage of the sun’s rays. Open the blinds in your home – that natural light will not only beautifully illuminate your house, it also can raise the temperature during the day.

A free heat source will obviously help you out in the long run, so open the shades in the afternoon and let the sun work its magic!

4. Don’t Block Your Air Vents

It’s a common misconception among homeowners that you can conserve energy by closing the vents in rooms you don’t use. However, while the blower in your HVAC system is designed to blow against some resistance, the pressure increases when air vents are closed. The higher the pressure in your duct system, the more duct leakage you’ll have, reducing energy efficiency.

Keeping the vents that supply heat to and from your HVAC system open allow it to run more effectively and efficiently. And don’t forget about routine cleaning and maintenance to help care for your HVAC system.

5. Get Cozy by the Fire

Beat the chill this winter by using a fireplace, like the ones that can be found in many Clayton homes. There’s just something about a burning fire that is welcoming during the winter months, so turn the heat down for a little bit and let a natural heater warm your home.

Of course, always make sure to seal your chimney flue after you extinguish the fire for the night. Leaving your flue open invites cold air likes to sneak into your home, so make sure you practice safe and effective fireplace maintenance. And make sure to follow home fire prevention tips, like having a fire extinguisher nearby and routinely checking your smoke detectors.

6. Check for Air Leaks

Cold air has a sneaky way of getting into your home. When this happens, you’ll want to crank up the heater, but by addressing any leaks you’ll help stop the problem at its source.

Check the frames of your doors and windows to make sure there are no holes or tears in the seals surrounding them. These rubber parts are small but mighty when it comes to letting in unwanted breezes. They can easily be replaced or fixed if you find any tears, so take the time to check them out as outside temperatures drop.

7. Lower Your Water Temperature

Another easy way to save money on your energy bill is by turning down your water heater’s temperature. It’s common to want to crank up the water temperature as it gets colder, but that can end up costing you a lot of money.

The Department of Energy suggests setting it at a temperature of 120 degrees, because water heating can account for up to 18% of your home’s overall energy consumption!

Following these 7 simple energy efficiency tips as you transition into the colder months could help you save. And you’ll rest easy knowing that your home is running more energy efficiently.

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