Optimize Your Home for a More Comfortable Cold Season

As the temperatures drop, we are reminded of those drafty areas of the home.  An increase in heating prices means it’s time to consider the best improvements that will make your home more comfortable and also save you the most money on your utility costs.

Poulin Windows and Doors is where you can find the majority of the supplies you need to improve your home’s efficiency.

Major Energy Efficient Upgrades

Some upgrades will help your home save a lot more energy than others.  These major energy-efficient upgrades take more planning, more work, and cost a little more.  But their payoff is better.  You’ll save more on energy costs, your home will be more comfortable, and you build more equity.

Windows and Doors

If you have old single-pane windows on your home, replacing them with energy-efficient windows can save you hundreds of dollars per year on your utility bills.  If your windows are double-pane already, you will still save money.

But you have to consider the non-monetary benefits of new windows and doors as well.  They look better and keep the home much more comfortable.  While the energy savings come in over time, these benefits hit right away.

Attic Insulation

Your attic space can quickly drain the heat from your home!  As you heat the rest of the house, that heat rises.  With an inadequately insulated attic, the heat just transfers right through the ceiling and the roof.  To make matters worse, that heat causes the snow to melt, which will then freeze as it drips over the edge forming icicles and ice dams.

Blowing in more insulation, or laying insulation batts between the ceiling joists, not only saves energy but prevents expensive repairs that can creep in with ice dams.

Replace Appliances

If you have a refrigerator built before the year 2000, it’s sucking up about twice as much electricity as a newer model.

That old fridge uses around 3kwh of electricity every day.  That equates to over 1,000kwh per year.  Depending on your electric charges, that could cost you over $200 per year in electric costs.  Upgrading to a modern fridge means you cut that expense in half, or even less.

Minor Energy Efficient Upgrades

Some energy efficient-upgrades are quite easy to do.  They only cost a few dollars and can be done in an afternoon or evening.  While you won’t save a ton of money, you aren’t laying out a ton of money either.

Re-do Weather Stripping

Every door and window in your home has some weather stripping around the edge.  It helps to form a tight seal and ensures that air isn’t sneaking its way into the home.

As the doors and windows are used, that weather stripping starts to wear out, rip, or come loose.  If it’s gone completely, cold air will find its way into your home in the coming cold months.  It only takes a few minutes to remove the old and install the new.

Swap to LED Bulbs

Most of the light bulbs for sale anymore are LED bulbs.  In fact, it’s getting harder and harder to find CFLs, let alone incandescent.

But your home, especially in areas where the bulbs aren’t used as much, might still have some of these older energy-draining light bulbs.  Costs have decreased considerably, and you can see an immediate reduction on your electric bill if you upgrade to a better bulb.

Change out Your Thermostat

Back in the day, the thermostat was a little dial on the wall.  You turned it until the arrow pointed at the desired temperature.  They were inefficient and largely inaccurate.

Now, most thermostats are programmable.  They’re better as you can have the temperature in your home automatically adjust depending on if you’re home, away, or sleeping.

But even better yet are smart thermostats.  Using artificial intelligence and internet-of-things, these thermostats not only adjust depending on your programming, but they learn your habits to save you more money.

Come to Poulin for your Energy Efficient Windows and Doors

From replacement windows and doors, to insulation, to all sorts of other building materials, Poulin has what you need.

We serve communities all around Vermont.  We live here, we work here, and we know the climate here.  When you come to Poulin, we can give you expert advice on what you need, because we have seen what actually works.

Are you ready to tackle your fall and winter efficiency upgrades?