Baby It’s Cold Outside

10 Tips for keeping warm inside, the efficient way

Baby It’s Cold Outside!

If Fall in Montana reminds us of anything, it’s that we can enjoy a sunny day outdoors in shorts and be adding winter layers to our outfit the very next day. Fall should also remind us to take stock of our home’s energy efficiency. “As our customers start thinking about colder weather, we offer up these energy efficiency tips for ways they can better manage their energy bills,” says Danie Williams, Energy Efficiency Manager for North Western Energy. “These tips can help Montanans save money while staying warm this winter.” So how do you tell if your home is running (energy) efficiently? Check out these hot tips from North Western Energy to keep your home just the right temp this fall. Top 10 Tips for Energy Efficiency • Compare your energy usage on your billing statement from month to month and from year to year to become aware of what impacts your energy use. • valuate your insulation levels to determine if you have enough to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. In the winter, cold floors and walls are a sign of a poorly insulated home. • Check your hot water heater’s temperature to make sure it’s safe and efficient — 120 degrees is plenty! • Check your refrigerator and freezer temperatures to make sure the refrigerator is set between 37 and 40 degrees F and your freezer

temperature is between 0 and 5 degrees F. • Check your heating equipment to make sure it is working properly and clean or replace the furnace filters. • Inspect your windows and doors for air leaks. If you see daylight around a door or window frame, then the door or window leaks. Seal up the leaks by caulking, adding weather stripping, or installing a door sweep. • Wrap your hot water tank and install pipe insulation on the first 10 feet of the hot water pipe. • Install low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads. • Replace incandescent light bulbs that are used more than three hours a

day with energy-efficient CFLs or LEDs. Visit North Western Energy’s How-To Videos page for videos on energy saving projects. • See what rebates or tax credits may be available for qualifying insulation measures, programmable thermostats, and high efficiency natural gas equipment. In Montana, you may be eligible for a free energy audit. The audit provides you with a customized report on your energy usage, recommendations to better manage energy costs, and information on rebates. For more information about a free home energy audit, go online to northwesternenergy.com or call 800-823-5995.

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Game-time energy saver.

Want an easy way to save energy when drying your clothes? Throw a few new tennis balls in with each load. Doing this can really reduce drying time –which will save you money. Plus, the fluffiness will bounce right back! Now that’s a bright idea.