With the cost of hydro on the rise lets talk about some ways you can reduce your hydro bill.
1.Choke your chimney– A tightly closed damper prevents up to 8% of furness-heated air from going up the chimney. Best of all this is completely free.
2.Seal air leaks– Save 10% or more on your heating bills by finding and sealing air leaks around your home. Costs about $30-$50 depending on how many leaks you may have.
3.Sealing ductwork- Sealing your ductwork with a foil-backed tape reduces air leakage by 15% and heating costs by 3-10%. With a low cost of about $7 a roll.
4.Energy Star rated appliances– By upgrading your appliances you could save anywhere from $30-$180 a year on utility cost. Energy Star fridge start at around $399 for a top-mount or $899 for a side by side. You should see the cost of the appliances paidback anywhere from 5-8 years. Invest in a quality appliances to get the highest savings.
5.Insulate your attic– Poorly insulated attics can be a BIG cause of heat lose, by simply investing in higher quality (or more) insulations (Around $300 depending on attic size) you could see as much as 30% saving on your energy bills.
6.Switch to pellet stove– by switching to a pellet stove you could save almost 50% off your heating bills, at about $6 for 40LB bag of pellets. With a small investment towards a pellet stove you can expect to have your investment paid back in as little as 3 years.
7.Energy efficent electic water heater – Save up to 20% on water heating bills by having a new energy efficent water heater installed.