The fall season is a popular time of year for many folks as it brings cooler weather, cozy sweaters, football and, of course, the beautiful colors of fall foliage. But as the temperature continues to drop, now is a great time to make those final improvements to your home before the winter comes.
We not only want to provide ways to save you money, but also make sure you can live comfortably. Here are a few fall home improvement ideas that you can make to save energy, save money and live comfortably for the rest of the fall and into the winter.
A programmable thermostat
By setting a heating schedule for your home, you are able to determine when your furnace is on and how hard it is working. A programmable thermostat adds credence to the motto, “Work smarter, not harder.”
Weather stripping
Thirty to 40 percent of your heating costs are lost to air leaks, according to Energy Star. Weather stripping materials start for around $5 in most home improvement stores, making them a cheap way to patch up any areas you’re losing heat from.
Installing low-flow faucets and showerheads
Reduce the amount of work your water heater does by limiting how much hot water you use with low-flow faucets and showerheads. Combine these with shorter showers, and you’re looking at a flood of savings.
Adding or replacing insulation
This can help reduce your heating costs by as much as 20 percent according to Green Energy Solutions, Inc. It’s another cost effective way to make your home energy efficient, as a roll of insulation starts at $15-20.
Replace your windows with energy-efficient models
“They’re just windows, how much can the really help?” The answer: a lot. Energy Star estimates that replacing a single-pane window with an energy-efficient model will save $353 and about 2,700 pounds of CO2 per year (the equivalent of about 137 gallons of gasoline). Now multiply that times the number of windows you replace and you’re looking at quite the savings.
Iowa State Bank is happy to help you make your fall home improvements with our home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). Please don’t hesitate to contact us today!
Iowa State Bank, Equal Housing Lender, Member FDIC