Keep warm and save energy this winter with tips from the ANTHC Rural Energy Initiative
December 15, 2017
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The winter months in Alaska come with more hours of darkness and cold, and harsh weather conditions that can be tough on your home. It can be challenging to stay warm and protected from the elements. ANTHC’s Rural Energy Initiative program has several tips that can help you not only keep warm as winter approaches, but save money by reducing the use of energy.
Weatherize your doors and windows
One of the toughest things to overcome when heating your home is air leakage. Air leaks through the seals of doors, around window frames, electrical outlets and light switches. Make sure any cracks or gaps around your doors and windows are properly sealed to keep cold air from getting into your house. You can use caulking to seal the window frames and general purpose weather stripping around your doors. Also consider a sliding under door draft guard.
Save electricity costs by turning off lights
During the darker winter months, we tend to keep the lights on for longer periods of time. It can become habit to turn on more lights than needed and forget to turn them off. Be mindful of where you are using lights and be active in turning anything off that you don’t need. You can also replace the bulbs in your most frequently used rooms with more energy efficient bulbs such as light emitting diode (LED) bulbs or install occupancy sensors which will automatically shut off lights if you are not actively in the space.
Use the sun to heat your home for free
Sunlight can be used as a free, natural heat source for your home. On sunny days, open your curtains or blinds on your windows that face the sun and bring free heat into your home. As the sun sets, close your blinds or curtains to keep the heat inside.
Utilize your ceiling fan
In winter months, it can be challenging to prevent the heat in your home, which naturally rises, from rising toward the ceiling. Using a ceiling fan that rotates clockwise set at a low speed will pull cool air up and redistribute warm air. This reduces the amount of heat needed to make your home feel warmer and more comfortable.
Unplug appliances and electronics
Most appliances and electronics plugged in to an outlet still use electricity, even when powered off. Unplugging appliances and electronics including small kitchen appliances, lamps, gaming systems, and electronic device charges when you’re out of the house or at night can help save money and energy. For items that are used more frequently and for longer periods of time including TVs, cable TV boxes, DVD players and computers, use a surge protector or a power strip. When you turn off the power switch on a surge protector or power strip, power to all devices plugged into that strip will be cut off.
For more information about ANTHC’s Rural Energy Initiative, visit anthc.org/what-we-do/rural-energy.