PSEG Long Island offers the following tips to keep winter energy bills down even as temperatures dip:
• Close fireplace dampers when they’re not in use.
• Move furniture and drapes away from heat registers, radiators and baseboard covers. Open register and baseboard dampers.
• Remove or cover window air conditioners.
• Let daylight in by opening curtains that face the sun to warm the room. At night, keep drapes and curtains closed to keep warmth inside.
• Use weather stripping or caulk to seal cracks and prevent drafts in windows and door frames. Install draft guards beneath doors.
• Keep the garage door closed if the garage is attached to the house.
• Increase humidity in the house to increase comfort at a lower thermostat setting.
• Insulate hot air heat ducts and hot water pipes that provide heat.
• Keep the thermostat at the lowest temperature that is comfortable.
PSEG also recommends replacing old light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs and fixtures to save money, noting that lighting accounts for 15 percent of home electricity use. LED bulbs can help reduce energy usage by 75 percent, and they last 25 times as long as incandescent bulbs, the company says.
on Jan 2, 2017