We’re now into the winter season, and I would like to offer you a few suggestions to encourage you to think of ways to lower your utility bills. The major one involves replacing the furnace filters in your home.
The U.S. Department of Energy says the average homeowner can save up to 15 percent on heating and cooling bills with this one simple step. A filter full of dust or pet hair makes your furnace work harder. It’s like you trying to breathe when your nose is congested.
You should inspect your furnace and air conditioning filters regularly and consider setting up a 90-day schedule for replacing them.
The Family Handyman website states that most filters these days display a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV), which helps consumers make informed choices. The website says that the higher the MERV, the cleaner the process. That is, the filter removes more dust particles from the air in your home, which is a good thing.
However, this also makes them slightly less efficient since the blower must work harder to suck air through the stricter cleaning screen. Family Handyman suggests that by opting for a lower MERV filter, in the 5 to 10 range, you can catch most particles while easing the airflow. This makes the device more efficient.
But for those of you with pets or allergies, you might want to stick with higher MERV ratings.
Some other things you should consider are the temperature you maintain in your home and the temperature you set for your refrigerator.
In the United States, during winter, the average daytime room temperature is typically around 68 degrees, according to the ecoenergygeek website. But it also states that a reasonable temperature range can be anywhere from 64 to 75 degrees during the day and 60 to 68 degrees at night. If you wear warm clothing and use a blanket, you can be comfortable at 64 degrees.
Another website suggests that your ideal fridge temperature should be 40 degrees or below. This is the recommendation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as relayed by the This Old House website. The temperature of your freezer should be zero degrees.
This site also suggests that to help your refrigerator work most efficiently, you should maintain a room temperature of 65 to 75 degrees.
I, like I’m sure many of you, am constantly on the lookout for ways to trim my power bills while maintaining a certain level of comfort in my home. Check out the websites—there are lots of good ideas out there, readily available to help you with your budgeting.
These are just a few ideas I thought of to share with you to assist in your efforts.
