Winter’s Chill Sets In. Ten Tips To Conserve Energy and Save Money This Winter

Lowering the thermostat by just one degree can reduce heating energy costs up to 5% and save $35-$60.

It’s a fact: 45% of the typical Illinois homeowner’s energy bill goes to home heating. Here are ten tips to consider when opening that ComEd bill this winter:

1. Lower it. Turn down the thermostat. In Illinois, lowering it by one degree can reduce energy costs by up to 5%, depending on how your home is heated. Even better? Get a programmable thermostat. Programmed properly and with the “awake-times” in mind, you can save up to 10% off your heating bill.

2. Replace it. Windows in older homes can allow up to 16% of the heat in your home escape. If you don’t have the budget to replace them with more efficient models, at least close the drapes at night or install insulating shutters to keep in the heat.

3. Insulate it. Your attic, that is. It’s one of the easiest, cheapest things you can do to keep your heat in your home. Make sure to maintain proper ventilation to wick off moisture.

4. Caulk it. Seal and weatherize openings, cracks and gaps. This is a problem with older homes, but check around doors and windows, ductwork, electric outlets and switches on outside walls and around chimneys and in the basement or crawl space.

5. Shut it. Speaking of fireplaces, keep the flue closed when not in use — it’ll suck warm air right out of your home.

Pulte Homes Making Strides in a Greener Direction

Pulte takes its commitment to the environment seriously and also wants to demonstrate to our homebuyers the importance and value of saving energy and not harming the environment.

Want to know a little-known fact? All model homes at Pulte’s new home communities use those nifty compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in all of their lighting.

According to Chris Naatz, vice president of sales and marketing for the Illinois division of Pulte Homes, “Pulte is continuing its efforts with environmental awareness and action and as a company that takes responsibility for protecting the environment and reducing our carbon footprint, we want to be proactive and that’s why we are now using CFLs in all of our model homes in Chicagoland.”

CFLs have some amazing benefits for reducing energy consumption. In addition to the Chicago market, a majority of Pulte Homes’ communities throughout the U.S. are now using compact fluorescent lighting.

CFLs use up to 75-percent less electricity than a traditional incandescent bulb and can last five to ten times longer. CFLs produce roughly 90-percent light and 10-percent heat output, compared to a traditional bulb’s 90-percent heat and 10-percent light. Based on average bulb life expectancy, total savings up to 30-percent can be achieved by using CFLs.