Aim for an Energy-Efficient Ohio Home During the Fall Holidays With These 3 Tips
Between fluctuating temperatures, holiday decorations and a swarm of guests, fall can ruin your best efforts to run an energy-efficient home. But with a little extra attention to these key areas, you’ll easily be able to bolster your home efficiency.
Timing Is Everything
One of the best ways to maximize your efficiency is using timers to control energy usage. Key areas where timers make a difference to power consumption are:
- Light displays: Use a timer so decorative lighting is on for the hours between getting home from work and going to bed. Save more by using a daylight sensor so the lights are only on after dark.
- Cooking: Instead of opening the oven repeatedly to check things, set timers and check dishes sparingly. Double-dip your savings by baking in batches to maximize the time your oven is up to temperature. Not preheating the oven for long roasting jobs is another energy-saving tip, and be sure to turn the heating down on days the oven does overtime.
- Heating: Using a programmable thermostat allows you to choose offsets for when the heating kicks in.
Waste Not
While it’s easy to think you’re doing your utmost to be efficient, you can almost always do better. When it comes to the fall holidays, consider the following:
- Avoid excessive packaging during holiday shopping.
- Use natural decorations as much as possible, and remember that composting these after the season’s over is your best bet.
- Use solar path markers and power packs for light displays.
Wrap Up Tight
Limiting heat loss is a huge step on the road to an energy-efficient home. There’re plenty of areas to consider here, and we recommend the following holiday-specific hints:
- Do seasonal maintenance to eliminate leaks in ductwork and around doors and windows.
- Lower the set-point for your heating if you’re having a gathering or baking.
If you’re looking for more ways to create an energy-efficient home, contact the experts at Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. We’re proud to serve homeowners in and around the Cincinnati area.
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