KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Looking to cut down on your heating bill this winter.
Here are some tips provided by The Rocky Mountain Institute, Bridging the Gap and the Department of Energy:
- Buy a window insulation kit for about $5. It's an easy, do-it-yourself product that requires a pair of scissors and a blow dryer. It could cut your heating bill by about 20%.
- Fill gaps, cracks and spaces around your home (windows, doors, ducts, pipes, etc.) with an expandable foam material or put a draft stopper under your doors. Most products are under $10. You can save up to $150 bucks a year by doing this.
- Buy a programmable thermostat for $20 and up. If you lower you thermostat and good ten to fifteen degrees while you are at work, you can save up to $150 per year.
- Change the direction of your fan so it is going clockwise. That way, the air will go upward and you can save up to 10% on you heating bill.
- Insulate your attic. The average house could cost as much as $500 but it can save you about $115 per year.
- Insulate the area between the wood framework of your home and the foundation of your home. It will cost about $250 and save about $80 per year.
- Maintain you furnace by getting new filters and having someone perform a tune it up before the cold hits. If you buy an energy efficient furnace (95%), you can save up to $250 a year and also be eligible for a Federal Tax Credit.
Tax credits on energy efficient items are available through 2010. Approved products are 30% off. You can save up to $1,500 in total between 2009-2010.
For more information:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index (Federal Tax Credit Info.)
http://www.rmi.org/cms/Download.aspx?id=1730&file=C02-12_CoolCitizensBrief.pdfwww.bridgingthegap.org www.energy.gov
