1. Stop Temperature Swings with a New ThermostatAre you living with a swinger? In the world of heating science, outdated thermostats promote wide temperature "swings" because they fail to anticipate final room temperature after your heater or air conditioner shuts off. On cold nights that means you may end up with boiling-hot rooms after every heating cycle. Most programmable units (priced from $40) have ingenious circuits to predict and limit temperature swing to four degrees in each room, saving up to 10 percent on heating costs annually. To install, remove the old unit from the wall and connect the existing wires to the new one. When choosing a spot for your thermostat, avoid spaces near windows, doors and direct sunlight. And bring the old thermostat to a city waste handler; it most likely contains a toxic gob of mercury that would break open if tossed in the trash.
2. Add Weatherproofing with an Insulated Door
Sure, you could install a new storm door, but why not rethink the main front portal instead? According to U.S. Department of Energy research, a 1.5-inch thick insulated door offers five times the heat retention of solid wood. (You probably don't even need an additional storm, says the study.) Priced between $200 and $400, new foam-core wood, aluminum and fiberglass units come in styles that will flatter any contemporary or traditional home design. When choosing a door with integrated windows, look for several layers of glazing and low emissive ratings for the glass. Most new doors arrive pre-hung, meaning they come complete with a new frame to ensure a tight, weatherproof fit.
3. Lower Utility Bills with a Rainwater Harvesting System
Heating fuel isn't the only costly expense at home. The average U.S. family of four consumes nearly 90,000 gallons of water, costing as much as $500 annually from municipal suppliers. To save money when watering the garden, connect a rain barrel to the roof downspout. Specially-made barrels (costing between $80 and $130) come complete with filter screens, hose fittings, valves and even hand pumps. Hookup may require shortening your gutter drainage system so water runs into the barrel, but special kits (from $30) are also available to divert rainwater from the gutter. Experts say this water is better for plants than tap — it's free of chlorine and fluoride and slightly acidic to help plants access nutrients in the soil.
4. Bring Back the Old-Fashioned Window Cornices
You probably keep your windows covered with drapes on cold nights — both for energy savings and good-old modesty. But you still might be losing heat if your window treatments are installed incorrectly. Drapes with narrow air gaps between rod and window create a chimney-like effect, drawing warm air from the bottom, cooling it against the window and blowing it toward to the ceiling. To combat this, make a wooden cornice, a rectangular wooden box that fits over the curtain rod. For the ultimate green renovation, build a cornice from spare finish wood or wood furring from a salvage yard, making sure to design it to fit snugly against the tops of drapes. At the bottom, window treatments should be hemmed to brush against the still or floor to further discourage air circulation. According to the U.S. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy office, such measures can reduce a drape's heat loss from the normal 10 percent to an extraordinary 25 percent.
5. Start Saving Energy in the Back Yard
For an energy-saving measure that looks good and costs next to nothing, plant a row of evergreen trees on your lawn to act as a windbreak. Evergreens provide a barrier to cold winter air, which typically blows against the north and west sides of homes in most areas, drawing domestic heat off with it. Pick saplings (from $10) that are local to the area, but keep in mind that Norway, white and Colorado blue spruce work best if you can get them to grow well. Plant the trees a distance from your house that's two to five times the height of the grown tree for the best defense against wind. If lower branches are sparse, plant some arborvitae hedges behind them for a compound effect. When you're ready to plant, simply start digging — it may require more elbow grease than green thumb, but energy savings begin in three to five years.
Create an Icy-Cold Attic
No matter how warm you want your house this winter, make sure one room is cold: the attic. A freezing top story is a sign that heat isn't spilling up through the ceiling, meaning the airspace is properly ventilated to protect the roof, preventing damaging condensation inside and ice dams out. First look for areas where warm air may escape: plumbing pipes sticking up through the floor, recessed lighting, hatch doors, chimneys, duct chaseways and electrical fixtures. Fix large holes with expanding foam and smaller ones with latex caulking. Finally, find out if you have enough fiberglass insulation by looking across your attic to see if the current insulation is level with your floor joists. If not, roll out more and reap the savings.
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