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Tips to make home efficient during the winter

By Colorado Springs UtilitiesMarch 1, 2023

Tips to make home efficient during the winter
Colorado Springs Utilities courtesy photo of a smart thermometer. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

Editor’s note: The following article and courtesy photo were provided by Colorado Springs Utilities, Fort Carson’s utility provider.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The wintry, cold air this winter serves as a reminder to make sure homes are winterized and running as efficiently as possible. There’s still time to implement efficiency and safety tips from Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities).

Springs Utilities passes changes in fuel costs – up or down – directly to their customers living off post. However, making efficiency changes at home can help offset these increases. Here are a few easy steps to take in homes heated by gas appliances:

  • Make an appointment to have the furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified technician. Check the furnace filter and regularly change when dirty. A clean filter allows the furnace to run more efficiently.
  • Set the thermostat as low as is comfortable.
  • At night, or when away from home, set the thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees – lowering the temperature setting for eight hours can save up to 10 % on energy costs. A programmable thermostat will do this, and Springs Utilities offers a $50 rebate on qualifying products to billed customers living off post.
  • Other rebates from Springs Utilities include one replacing an old, inefficient furnace or water heater. Natural gas customers living off post can earn $250 on qualifying furnace purchase, and $50 on a natural gas water heater.

An energy efficient home doesn’t stop with the thermostat or appliances. On a warmer winter day, there are easy do-it-yourself projects to boost efficiency and comfort. One is applying caulk or weatherstripping to seal leaks around doors, windows or any other areas to keep the warm air in and the cold air out. (Make sure it’s above 45 degrees to apply caulking.) Here are a few additional tips to warm a home naturally and use appliances efficiently:

  • Open curtains on south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows.
  • Wash clothes on cold and air dry.
  • Run dishwashers only when full to save energy.
  • Keep the fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney.
  • Change the direction of ceiling fans. During colder months ceiling fans should rotate clockwise to pull warm air up and distribute it throughout a living space.  

Visit www.csu.org for more efficiency tips and rebate information.

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