Potomac Edison has some tips for staying warm & saving money.
Frederick, Md (KM) We all enjoyed last week’s brief spell of warm weather, but that has passed, and it might be a good idea to get your house ready for winter.
Todd Meyers, spokesman For Potomac Edison, says there are some simple things you can do to keep the cold air out of your house. “Doing things like insulation; plugging up little holes and cracks, maybe from plumbing, going through walls into homes; different things like beneath your garage door and maybe beneath your front door, having the right weather stripping there,” he says.
Meyers says little chores like these could help save 10% on your energy bill.
He also says “get that furnace looked at. That’s something you can do right now. Get it tuned up. Make sure you change those filters,” says Meyers. “It’s hard for the furnace to push air through a dirty filter.It’s less efficient. It uses more energy.”
When you turn on the heat, Meyers says it’s best to keep the thermostat at 65-degrees, perhaps a little higher if you have elderly people or small children in your home. “For every degree you go above 65 or so, you use about 3% more energy, electricity, perhaps,” he says. “And for every degree you go below, you can actually save a bit.”
In order to stay warm on cold winter days, Meyers says don’t place the couch or other furniture in front of the grill where the hot air comes out. “It’s doesn’t do much good to keep on feeling cold and then turning the thermostat up and you keep on blowing more and more hot air gets back to your couch. You’re just losing money that’s not making you any more comfortable,” he says.
Potomac Edison has a website which has other energy saving tips. It’s www.energysavemd.com.
By Kevin McManus