I’m a big fan of energy efficiency. It saves money, and it’s good for the environment. We put a lot of thought into making our home in Massachusetts energy efficient, and by the time we left our monthly utility bill had dropped 60% in the wintertime! Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite energy saving hacks, and I would love to hear yours in the comments for this post.
Energy Saving Hacks for Wintertime
What You'll Find on This Page
- We keep our thermostat at 67 degrees in the wintertime, because every degree makes a difference in our heating bills. The kids love wearing soft fleece pants I sew to stay warm. A warm rice pack also makes a great personal heater!
- Block drafts. I turned old jeans into door draft blockers, and it made a big difference! Closing curtains also helps!
- Close off rooms you don’t need. Why heat space you don’t need to use?
Energy Saving Hacks for Summer
- We don’t have air conditioning in our California condo, and that fact alone is a big energy saver for us! I have learned to keep temperatures down without air conditioning by:
- Closing curtains and blinds, particularly those that face the sun (which windows face the sun will change depending on the time of day).
- Running fans. We find window fans particularly helpful in getting the hot air out and cooler air in once temperatures dropped.
- Line drying laundry. When the weather is hot, the outdoors are basically a giant dryer! Line drying laundry is an easy way to cut energy costs, and it makes your clothes smell nice, too!
Investment Energy Hacks
There are a lot of things that you can do that will drop your energy bill in the long run! Some of these require an up-front investment, but they can make a big enough difference to be worth the cost. We replaced a door and a couple of windows in our Massachusetts home, and definitely saw a big difference in our heating bills. We were able to get rebates on both of those projects, so be sure to always check for rebates before doing energy efficiency home improvements!
What are your favorite energy saving hacks?
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
60% ! That’s amazing. Thanks for the tips.
We turn down the thermostat down to 64 at night when we are sleeping. It’s ok to have the house a little colder when you are in bed, all nice and warm anyway. We are looking into a smart therostat that adjusts according to our habits and you can also set the thermostat from a smart phone. My flute teacher has that and they are loving it!
Is that the Nest? That company’s offices are all over Silicon Valley!
Great tips! I wish we could keep ours at 67 in the winter, but we have one unit for two floors. It’s so ridiculous and it makes it ice cold downstairs!
I love opening the windows instead of the AC, though!
How frustrating! We have one unit for two floors, but the layout of the apartment makes it work pretty well.
This is so important! Saving and mindfully using the available resources like energy is totally everyone’s responsibility! Greatt tips!
Thanks, Veens! I’m glad you found the tips helpful.
I’m all about energy saving! I love these tips for all seasons! We try to keep our heat at 68 too.
I can’t imagine living without air conditioning. We try to keep our thermostat set warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter.
Those fleece pants look soooo cozy! One of my favourite cooling tricks in hot weather is to open a window just a little crack. The breeze is actually cooler through the small opening than it would be if the window were open wide!
I didn’t know that window tip – definitely giving it a try next summer!
LOVE it! We keep thermostat at 67 and wear warming clothes. Your post has be thinking about closing rooms and other ways to safe.
Awesome tips. I keep the thermostat at 67 too although I’d rather have it at 70!
we have our thermostat set at 18°C but also to only warm from there at times just before we get home and wake up. I have added extra blankets and quilts plus four seasons to beds to save on heating costs yes there is an initial out lay but we save in the run. great tips and we’ll be shutting down our spare room
We keep the thermostat about 68 for the same reason – every little bit helps!
Great tips especially since it is already SUPER cold here in Chicago!!! Its gonna cost us a lot to heat our home for the next 5 months! lol