Ways to cut your energy bill....

It's the time of year when we start to roll out the clear plastic sheet and get out the trusty blow dryer to prep windows for winter. Did you know? Heating accounts for almost 29 percent of the energy use in a typical American home. And, a poorly sealed home can waste 10 to 15 percent of your heating dollars. Even though it is the largest energy expense, weather-stripping and caulking are probably the least expensive, most effective ways to cut down on heating waste.
I have compiled a list of things that are fast and free to help your home fight off winter energy demands more efficiently and more affordably. Whether or not you rent or own, you can take steps to make your home energy efficient with little or no expense.

The following list is like sit-ups for your home:  

• Set your thermostat to 68 degrees.
• Set your water heater to 120 degrees.
• Good morning sunshine -- Open window coverings on south-facing windows to warm your home, but remember to close them at night.
• Keep it shut -- I don't care how much you love that fireplace, traditional fireplaces are not efficient. When not in use, shut the damper and make sure it stays closed.
• Plug leaks -- Install weather-stripping or caulk leaky doors and windows. Did you know a 1/16th-inch unsealed crack around a window lets in as much cold air as leaving the window open 1/2-inch? Yikes.
• Use cold water when you wash your clothes. They won't know the difference.
• Dry your clothes outside (Okay it's not ideal, I get that.) or buy a drying rack.
• Change out your light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs or LEDs.
• Install a low-flow shower head.
• Buy your water heater a blanket. If your water heater feels warm to the touch it is losing heat and needs a blanket.
• Don't forget to replace your furnace filter -- remember that a dirty filter for your furnace is like you trying to breathe through a waffle.
• Ceiling fan -- Turn the blades clockwise in the winter!
• Install clear, plastic sheets in the windows. Remember to seal the plastic tightly frame to frame.
• And my personal favorite, make sure you don't have a piece of furniture or a big, fluffy cat blocking a vent! This will ensure that the air is evenly distributed throughout the-house and not inundated with cat hair.

The good news -- You can take most of these energy-efficiency shape-ups with you when you move to your next home or apartment -- your home will be an energy efficiency knock out in no time.