Cozy Cost-Savers for Cold Weather

TENNESSEE VALLEY-As marketing manager for TVA EnergyRight, Ashley England has plenty of tips to help people throughout the Valley region improve their energy efficiency.

At home in Nashville, Tennessee, her target audience is much smaller: her husband, two kids and a rescue mutt named Mo.

With the cold weather setting in, she and her family have already taken steps to button up their home.

Most recently, they replaced the weather stripping around their front door.

“It was pretty battered,” she said. “Your front door’s weather stripping takes a beating when you’ve got two children and a pet.”

Weather stripping is just one of the DIY quick fixes that can instantly make a chilly home feel more comfortable, England said.

Meteorologist Nick Austin, a short-term load forecaster at TVA, is also making last-minute cold-weather home improvements.

He’d already had his HVAC unit serviced to prepare for winter, but he found himself rushing to the hardware store to purchase insulation kits for drafty old windows in his bedroom and office.

With temperatures dipping, it’s a good reminder for folks to look closely at windows, insulation, HVAC units and more.

800-Pound Gorilla

When it comes to staying warm and saving money, the 800-pound gorilla is your HVAC system.

It pays – literally – to educate yourself so you can avoid some common pitfalls that lead to higher energy bills, England said.

The U.S. Department of Energy provides general information, and you can look up the owner’s manual for your specific unit online.

Here are some of England’s tips:

• Lower your thermostat to about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Every degree you turn down your thermostat saves you approximately 3% on your electric bill.
• Don’t fall for the myth that the higher you set your thermostat, the faster your house will warm up. “Your house will heat up at the same speed,” England said. “No need to set the temperature higher than you actually intend it to be.”
• It’s best to only turn your heat up 2 or 3 degrees at a time. This avoids triggering the secondary heating source in your HVAC unit, which is costlier.
• Understand the settings on your HVAC unit. For most units, the auxiliary setting is an automatic adjustment your unit makes when the heat pump is having trouble keeping up. It’s usually advisable not to override that. The emergency setting, by contrast, is a manual setting that should only be used in an emergency. It will significantly increase your heating bills.
• If you’re hosting a crowd, lower your thermostat a few degrees ahead of time. All those warm bodies will help heat up your house.
• If you have a smart thermostat, take advantage of it to dial back your heat when your house is empty.
• Check your HVAC filters monthly and change them regularly. Your HVAC unit will run more efficiently, which saves you money, and your indoor air will be cleaner.
• Make sure your heating vents aren’t blocked by rugs or furniture.

The Little Things

Just a handful of small adjustments can improve your comfort while also lowering bills and conserving energy, England said.

“We’re very diligent about setting our appliances to run at night,” she said. That includes her laundry machines and dishwasher. She even charges her electric Hyundai Kona between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Here are some additional no-cost and low-cost tips:

• Use blinds and curtains to your advantage. Open them if it’s sunny out, then close them in the evening.
• Purchase and install thermal curtains, especially if you have older, single-pane windows. In a pinch, plastic sheeting, cardboard or blankets can help hold in heat on below-freezing nights.
• If you have older doors, use a draft stopper. You can make one by just rolling up a towel.
• Set your ceiling fans to run clockwise. This will help push warm air down into the room.
• Unplug unused appliances and electronics and turn off non-essential lights.
• Use area rugs on bare floors.
• Close fireplace dampers when not in use.
• Use LED holiday lights, which generate less heat waste.
• Use your instant pot, slow cooker or air fryer rather than your oven.

The Long Game

Some energy efficiency upgrades take a bit of planning.

After buying their blue Craftsman-style home a few years ago, England’s family took EnergyRight’s free, self-guided Home Energy Assessment. They discovered that their HVAC unit, appliances and insulation were in good shape.

But the windows were another story.

“Our home was built in the 1940s. These are the original windows,” England said. “If you sit by a window in my house, you need to wear a scarf.”

This year, the family is awaiting delivery of 21 new energy efficient windows – their holiday gift to themselves.

“We’ve been saving up for that,” England said.

Many energy efficiency investments also qualify for EnergyRight’s rebate program for homeowners, which offers cash payments for adding insulation, sealing air leaks and installing a new HVAC unit, among other items. To qualify for rebates, the work must be performed by a contractor in TVA’s certified network.

Such investments pay off in lower bills, England said, and you can’t put a price on intangibles like cozy quality time in the winter – with no scarves needed indoors.

“Our family loves to spend time together in our living room,” she said. “I look forward to snuggling up on the couch together.”

Cold Cash

You can get $20 in home improvement gift cards for taking TVA’s Home Energy Assessment before Dec. 31, 2024.

The online assessment guides you through simple questions about your home’s lighting, appliances, insulation and other features. It takes just a few minutes to complete.

You’ll receive a report with customized energy improvement recommendations, plus a kit of energy-saving gadgets such as foam gaskets to insulate the electrical outlets and light switches on your exterior walls.