Start Saving Money with our Homeowner Tips – Part 1

Moving is at once exciting, overwhelming, and exhausting. Once you have bought a new home and are moving into the new place which you own (congrats!), there are a few things you need to keep in mind and implement in order to save money right off the bat. Follow our tips for your new Tulsa home and you will be settled and saving in no time.

For energy efficiency, check on the insulation throughout the home. If you have an unfinished attic, pop your head up there and take a look around. You should see some insulation up there, and there should be at least six inches of it everywhere (more if you live in the northern part of the United States). If there’s inadequate insulation up there – or the insulation you have appears damaged – install new insulation.

Lower the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees. This is the optimum temperature for your hot water heater. Most people do not utilize water that’s hotter than that, and thus energy used to keep the water that hot isn’t effective. Lower the temperature and save some on your energy bill. For added efficiency, put a water heater blanket over your tank. A small investment in a blanket for your water heater will slowly and gradually save you money on your heating bill over time by keeping the heat in the water instead of letting it spread slowly out into your utility closet.

Install ceiling fans in many rooms. Ceiling fans are a low-energy way to keep air moving in your home. Because of the air circulation effect, you can get away with keeping your thermostat a degree or two higher in summer and a degree or two lower in winter, netting a rather large savings.

Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat allows you to schedule automatic increases and decreases in your home’s temperature. This lets your house naturally warm (or cool in the winter) while you’re at work or asleep, saving quite a bit of energy use, and then when it comes time for you to actively use the house, the thermostat automatically adjusts the temperature of your home back to what you prefer. Such devices save money on cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.

To be continued…