Ways to Conserve Energy While Heating and Cooling the Home

Go Green in 2014: Week 40

Where I live, temperatures have been dropping quickly, and we have already had to turn on the heat. It certainly won't be long before winter arrives!

As you've surely noticed, energy bills can get quite a bit higher in the summer and winter, when we run the air conditioning and heat more often. At least, that's the case here. One of the bad things about living in a larger house is the cost of heating and cooling it. Fortunately, there are several ways you can save money and energy while heating and cooling the home.

Heating the home

Following are a few ways to conserve energy while heating your home in the winter.

1. Keep the thermostat at 69 degrees. Rather than turning up the heat when it gets cold, and turning it down when it gets hot, keep it at a steady, slightly low temperature. It takes a lot of energy to re-heat the house once it cools down. Yes, sometimes it gets a little cool in our house, but I just keep lots of blankets around!
2. Cover older, drafty windows with heavy curtains. Standing next to certain windows in our house, I can feel a cold draft coming in, which means the furnace will have to work harder to maintain the heat. Heavy curtains can definitely help keep the cold out. In my dining room, I actually have sheer spring curtains, which I switch out for heavier draperies in the fall and winter.
3. Leave the oven door open after baking. I know it doesn't really help heat the house a ton, but it makes more sense to release the warm air into the kitchen, rather than trapping it inside the oven.

Cooling the home

Here are some ways to conserve energy while cooling your home in the summer.

1. Keep the thermostat at 72 degrees. Or, if you have a window air conditioning unit, try to avoid running it at a higher speed or cooler temperature than you really need. Face fans toward open windows to blow the warm air out.
2. Open windows during the coolest times of the day. Then close them, as well as the curtains or blinds, to block out the sun and heat during the hottest part of the day.
3. Cook during cooler times of the day. Or, come up with meal ideas that require minimal to no cooking (how about grilling outside instead?). The stove and oven can really heat up the house in the summer.

When it comes to conserving energy while heating and cooling your home, it is important to make sure your home is sealed against the elements. That may mean replacing old windows with newer models. It may mean insulating and caulking where needed.

What are some methods you use to conserve energy while heating and cooling the house? Have you considered installing solar panels?

Photo courtesy of Flickr / Michael Coghlan

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Your challenge: This week, begin incorporating natural home heating or cooling methods into your daily life.

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**This post is part of a weekly challenge {Go Green in 2014}, during which the author has challenged herself - and you - to find 52 ways to lead a greener life in 2014. You can follow the weekly posts on this page.**