With a name like frugal toad, you’ll know this website is committed to helping people save both money and energy while being “greener” to the earth at the same time. In a recent article entitled, “How To Keep Warm In The Winter (Without Freezing Your Wallet), this money saving site is offering practical solutions like the HomeSelfe app for lowering energy costs without consumers becoming chilly in the process.
The Frugal Toad reminds us that during the season of giving, we don’t have much extra cash laying around to spend on higher utility bills. Since warming costs during the fall and winter months account for up to 50% of our energy costs, this is the first place we need to look in order to cut costs and save money during the season of giving.
Sixty-Eight Is Great
We all know that the correct seasonal indoor temperature should be set at 68℉ during these colder months. But both the Frugal Toad website and creators of the HomeSelfe app remind us to use programmable thermostats to increase these savings. While we’re asleep at night and away from home during work or school, this number can be reduced to 55℉ without compromising costs or comfort.
Additional Comfort Without The Cost
If a 68℉ temperature setting isn’t cutting it for you when warmth is concerned, imagine if you have a teenage daughter who is running around in shorts and a tank top in December – put some clothes on! Slippers, extra warm socks, sweat pants, warm throw blankets on the couch, and yes, layered clothing, will all make us much warmer without adjusting the thermostat.
Take advantage of window dressings and the sun’s natural warmth when closing shades and blinds at night and opening them during the late afternoon hours. Make sure the damper is completely closed on your fireplace when it’s not in use and conversely, build a roaring fire to warm up your comfortable living space in the evening.
HomeSelfe Helps
Speaking of closing your fireplace damper to stop energy from leeching from your home, the HomeSelfe app will do a thorough investigation of your house to see where you could be draining air through cracks and crevices. Inadequate insulation, failed weatherstripping and other gaps in your home could be heating the exterior of your home instead of the interior.
By downloading the free HomeSelfe app, this important tool with take you through a quick, efficient tour of your home and find a multitude of ways that your could be warmer while saving energy at the same time.
