The first day of fall and the Autumn Equinox are here tomorrow, September 22nd. Another official “Day” tomorrow is National Temperature Control Day. Now is a good time to start planning ways you can conserve energy in your home in the cooler temperatures.
Many of us are ready for cozy weather and the first day of fall brings about thoughts of sweaters, pumpkins, and the leaves changing colors. However, at least in my area, the weather is a bit crazy. Some days you need that cozy sweater you are wanting to wear but other days you still need shorts. It can be a bit difficult to plan where your thermostat needs to be set or if you even need the heat or cooling on.
Taking time to check the weather is a great place to start. What does the weather look like for the week? Can opening the windows keep your home cool enough? Or will keeping the windows closed keep you warm enough? Better yet, are the temperatures right for not having your heating and cooling system running at all? By the way, my favorite time is when I can turn my system off for a few of weeks due to perfect weather in the fall and spring. Why? Because the easiest way to conserve energy is to turn it off.
In the early part of fall, many mornings are crisp and with the use of a small window fan, I can cool off my home enough that my cooling system is off the majority, or sometimes all, of the day. Later in the fall, I can close the windows and flip the Heat Keeper on my dryer so the heat from the dryer is dumped into my house instead of outside. My household is always trying to see how long we can last before it is absolutely necessary to turn the heat on for the winter. A programmable thermostat is a great way to have your heating and cooling system adjust without you having to remember to adjust it. It is also a great time to have your heating and cooling system maintained before it gets too cold outside.
So, let’s all take some time over the next couple of weeks as we move into the fall to think about ways to keep our homes cozy while conserving as much energy as possible. That way we can get back to thinking of cozy sweaters, pumpkins, and all the beauty and abundance of fall.