Conservation Tips

HEAT SAVING TIPS: EASY DOs

• Get a heating system tuneup — it’ll ensure you get maximum performance from every drop of heating oil burned.
• Open shades and drapes when the sun is out to let it help warm your home. Close them when the sun goes down.
• Turn back the thermostat at night or when you are away from home; for every degree you lower your thermostat for 8 hours or more each day, you’ll save 2 percent on your heating bill.
• Wrap your pipes to guard against heat loss and prevent them from freezing.
• Stop drafts by eliminating any gaps between your door and the threshold on the floor. Use a bottom seal that can be attached to the bottom of the door – it should brush up against the floor to seal up the threshold.
• Caulk or re-caulk exterior spaces between the windows and walls of your home.
• Close your kitchen vent, fireplace damper and closet doors when not in use.
• If you have central air conditioning, close your vent(s) to the outside.
• Remove air conditioning window units, or cover them to keep cold air outside.
• Keep radiators and registers free of dust for top efficiency.

• Replace heating systems that are more than 20 years old.
• Upgrade your oil furnace or boiler — modern versions can cut costs by as much as 15 percent.
• Replace your furnace’s or boiler’s fuel economizer.
• Make sure you have good insulation on exterior walls, ceilings with cold spaces above, and floors with cold spaces below.
• Install or close storm windows. Consider new glass designed to decrease radiant heat loss without lowering visibility.