Money-Saving Tips

 

Invest in a programmable
thermostat to save money.

One of a homeowner's most cost-effective moves is to install a programmable thermostat (they typically retail for about $85). Such thermostats can be set to increase and reduce temperature, depending on when you'll be home. If you can make simple electrical connections, you can do the installation yourself.

Installing a Programmable Thermostat

Insulate windows with spring metal, vinyl, felt, or self-adhesive foam. If your windows have deteriorated beyond saving, consider replacements chosen for R-value (resistance to heat loss or gain). Avoid metal-frame windows, which conduct cold into a home.

Window Style Primer

Home Improvement Encyclopedia/Windows and Doors

Doors lose twice as much energy as windows because of their larger surface areas, frequent openings, and harder-to-seal thresholds. But, like windows, they can be inexpensively weather-stripped and sealed, and a wide variety of rubber or metal sweeps and threshold locks can be added on to seal those bottom-area gaps.

Weatherstripping Doors

Home Improvement Encyclopedia/Windows and Doors

Garage doors present an even bigger problem than regular doors. Flimsy metal or warped wooden garage doors lose heat at an alarming rate and are one of a home's prime weak spots during violent wind storms. Heavier, better-insulated wood or fiberglass models require well-maintained quality components.

Strengthening Garage Doors

Garage Door Dilemmas

If your exterior walls lack interior insulation, check if you can drop in loose-fill insulation from the attic or have blown-in insulation professionally installed. Another big heat loser -- basement walls and crawl spaces -- can be framed out or insulated from inside or out to realize energy savings of up to 30 percent.

Insulating Exterior Walls

Insulating Basement Walls

Insulating Crawlspaces