Want to save money on your energy bill this year? The living room is a great place to start your energy audit, as it’s where we spend a lot of time and use a lot of power-hungry appliances. Following are some tips to help you reduce energy use in your living room. - Lower your heating and cooling bills by replacing your single pane windows with energy efficient windows. All of Wallside’s windows feature the energy-saving INTERCEPT Spacer system and dual-pane insulated glass.
- Consider insulated drapes or blinds on your windows to keep warm air inside during winter, and summer heat out. Tinted window film can also help insulate against solar heat during the summer and keep furniture and carpets from fading. Contact our expert team at Wallside Windows of Detroit at (313) 908-5243 to learn more about the different energy-efficient treatments you can pair with your windows.
- Caulk around window leaks or install low-cost, clear plastic window sheeting over leaking windows to keep cold air out. The plastic must be sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration. - Switch over to ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting fixtures or bulbs to save about $6 per bulb or about $14 a fixture annually on your energy bill. ENERGY STAR® certified compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs) use 75 percent less energy than comparable incandescent light bulbs and last about 10 to 50 times longer.
- Plug your TV, DVD and other home electronics into power strips, and turn the power strips off when the equipment isn’t in use. Even in standby mode, TVs and DVDs still use several watts of power. Gaming systems are especially power hungry, with some consoles using almost as much power as your TV. To be safe, unplug your gaming console when you’re done.
- Avoid placing heat-emitting appliances such as TVs or lamps near a thermostat.
- Turn off the lights in any room you’re not using and consider installing timers or sensors to help reduce the amount of time your lights are on. - To prevent cold air creeping in through the fireplace, keep the damper tightly closed whenever the fireplace isn’t in use. You can also install a tight-fitting fireplace door, or even better, a blower motor.