CHARLOTTE — As a working mother of three, Crystal Marie McDaniels says running her house takes a lot of energy, from her and her appliances.
“Lights are running,” she said. “Laundry’s always going on. I don’t know when we’re not washing clothes.”
In the hopes of avoiding high winter bills, she scheduled an energy audit through Duke Energy’s Home Energy House Call Program.
Field manager JB McLaughlin said heating systems usually make up the biggest chunk of our winter bills, so it’s important to make sure all that heat is used in the home, rather than leaking out.
Through the audit, he works to find those spots by measuring pressure, using heat cameras and finding places where weatherization measures have started to fail.
“With home comfort, it’s not only going to help with energy bills but help with air indoor quality as well,” he said.
The audit itself is free to Duke Energy customers, as is basic weatherization measures like adding strips to door frames, however McLaughlin said he also puts together a report for homeowners with further measures they can take on their own.
[ SEE MORE: Duke Energy bill drop coming for North Carolina customers ]
For McDaniels, that included insulating her garage door and putting an insulation jacket on her water heater, which sits in the non-temperature-controlled garage.
“Ultimately, what that’s going to do is maximize the warmth of your water, especially considering it gets cold out here in the wintertime,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is minimize the usage of your appliances.”
When appliances don’t have to work as hard, McLaughlin said it cuts demand on the entire power grid and for homeowners like McDaniels, it helps keep costs down.
“It’s a way to move beyond what my mom taught me about keeping the lights off when you’re not in the room but seeing what other things we can do while we work towards being more energy efficient,” she said.
If you’d like to schedule an audit with Duke Energy, click this link.
Low-cost fixes for insulation
Window insulation shrink kit
Most hardware stores sell these kits for about $5. You can use a blow dryer to shrink-wrap it to your windows. In an average-sized home, shrink-wrapped windows can save up to $20 dollars per window every winter, according to Energy Star and the Environmental Protection Agency.
[ CHECK IT OUT >> Hot tip: These free or cheap tricks can keep your home warmer this winter ]
Caulk the gaps
Take a tube of caulk directly to the gaps in your windows and draft doors, then smooth out the surface. The U.S. Department of Energy says caulking can save up to 20% off your heating bill.
Clean your system, and don’t forget those filters
According to a report by the EPA, just a tiny bit of dust in your system’s heating coils can reduce efficiency by 20%. And don’t forget your furnace filters. Changing your filters can save you 5%, or about $10 a month.
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