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Replace old heating and/or cooling system components with an efficient/ENERGY STAR® certified alternative

If a professional evaluation reveals that it’s time to upgrade your heating or cooling system, it is worth researching the many diverse options available today—air, water, and geothermal heat pumps; wood, pellet, and corn stoves; natural gas and oil fueled furnaces and boilers; radiant floor and panel heating; air and liquid active solar heating, central or ductless mini-split air conditioners—to name a few. Read the Energy Savers heating and cooling guide, enter “home heating systems” in your internet browser, or work with an HVAC contractor to determine the right system for your home

An ENERGY STAR® air conditioner can help you to achieve up to 27% energy savings per year and up to $1,000 in lifetime energy savings. Utility company or manufacturer rebates may also be available, such as Potomac Edison appliance rebates.

Potomac Edison offers HVAC rebates for high-efficiency central air conditioners,air-to-air heat pumps,ductless mini-split heat pumps, adn Energy Star geothermal heat pumps.

Washington Gas has rebates for natural gas furnaces, programmable thermostats, and WiFi enabled programmable thermostats.

Open and close drapes to help heat and cool rooms

In the summer, close drapes and blinds during the hottest parts of the day to keep the sun from heating your rooms. Standard window blinds can be quite effective at keeping your house cool in summer, reducing heat gain by up to 45%.

In the winter, open drapes and blinds during the day to allow the sun to warm your home, and close drapes and blinds during the evening to keep the heat inside. Conventional drapes or curtains reduce heat loss from a room by only 10%. Convection carries hot air between the curtain and the window, where the air loses heat, falls below the bottom of the curtain (and out the sides) and draws in more hot air above. Drapes or blinds that are close to the window and snug on all sides can reduce heat loss by as much as 25%.

For more information, visit GreenEnergyEfficientHomes.com.

Use insulated shades or window quilts

A lot of heat is lost during the night through window glazing (the glass portion of the window). You can retain heat in your rooms by using insulated window shades or window quilts. Insulated shades can also keep heat from entering your rooms in the summer. There are many products to chose from; try searching Amazon.com or Google.com. Or if you are frugally-minded, learn how to make your own window quilts, make your own insulated Roman shades, or make your own solar heat catcher.

Learn more about how window shades save energy at GreenEnergyEfficientHomes.com.

Stop fireplace drafts

If you have a fireplace in a well-insulated home, but leave the damper open, you could be increasing your energy use and costs by 30%. Winter air leakage through fireplaces can increase winter energy bills by $500 or more! Chimneys draw rising warm air out of your home which is replaced by cold air. Close your dampers or install a low-cost inflatable pillow in your chimney; it can be removed before fireplace use, and reinstalled after. Visit batticdoor.com or search for “inflatable dampers” with your internet browser to learn about options.

Watch this video to learn how to install a chimney balloon.

Install a dryer vent seal

Is your laundry room the coldest room in your home? An often overlooked source of heat loss is the dryer vent – while a typical dryer vent flap may keep rodents out of your home, it makes a great pathway for heat to leave your home. Dryer vent seals, which can also work on bathroom and kitchen vents, remain closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is in use, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint, and moisture to escape. When the dryer stops, the shuttle drops back down, keeping cold air, birds, bugs and rodents outside. Visit doityourself.com or search for “dryer vent seal” to explore options.

Install foam gasket insulators behind electrical outlets and light switch plates

Have you ever noticed a cold draft when you remove an outlet cover? Electrical boxes behind wall sockets penetrate into the wall cavity and its insulation making them potential sources of air leakage, especially along outside walls. Polyethylene foam gaskets installed behind electric outlet plate covers reduce drafts. For double or triple outlet or light switch boxes, multiple gaskets can be overlapped and trimmed to fit. Foam gaskets are simple to install and are available at local hardware stores or online vendors. Watch this video to learn how to install gasket insulators.