With recent talk of wind chills and even predictions of snow in northern parts of the state, now is the ideal time to prepare your home for the colder winter months ahead to reduce energy usage, and hopefully reduce monthly energy bills. MidAmerican Energy Company has provided 1o no- or low-cost tips to winterizing your home. First they say to take advantage of MidAmerican Energy’s free energy assessment program. They will evaluate your home and provide details about what you can do to reduce waste. One of the easiest ways to reduce energy loss is to insulate and make sure your home is adequately protected, including insulating around furnaces, ducts and boiler pipes. Third, they recommend servicing your furnace annually. A routine tune up will increase efficiency and safety as well as help prevent future problems and costly repairs. When it comes to your furnace, change your filters before running, then at maximum every three months and more often during heavy use months. Homeowners who keep their thermostat below 68 degrees in winter months will reduce energy use by approximately four percent for every degree in a 24-hour period. Be sure and seal up those air leaks and block drafts with weather stripping and caulking, put clear plastic sheets on windows to reduce heat loss and keep drapes shades and blinds open on sunny days. MidAmerican also urges consumers to install Energy Star lighting and appliances as they use between 70 and 90 percent less energy and last 10 to 25 times longer. Finally, they say to keep your air registers and radiators clear. Make sure they are not blocked by furniture, rugs, drapes or other objects and dust or vacuum registers on a regular basis. For more tips on how to make your home or business more energy efficient this winter, visit www.midamericanenergy.com/ee/.
