Not intended to solicit those already under contract with a brokerage Lauren Gosse Full-Time Sales Representative • Energy Savings • Market Stats • Community Events • Holiday Greetings ...On YOUR BLOCK Find Out What Your Home Is Worth As your neighbourhood Realtor, I will be happy to assess the Current Market Value of your home and talk about any Real Estate queries you may have. It is always a pleasure! Please do not hesitate to call. 289.690.4750 or 905.723.5944 Direct: 289.690.4750 Office: 905.723.5944 www.LaurenGosse.com Cool Ways to Stay Warm: Winter Energy Saving Tips When the winter months approach, the insnct to bundle up and hibernate sets in. But when the power bills rise, you may find that keeping cozy can be costly. But with a few energy-saving ps, you can not only stay warm but lower your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint. First, consider the maintenance of your heang system. If you have a thermostat, set it to 68 degrees. Seng the thermostat higher than this adds an average two to five percent increase in energy costs for every degree. Consider lowering the temperature further at night, and if you are going away for an extended period of me, set the thermostat to 60 degrees to prevent straining the system on your return. Cleaning and replacing furnace filters when recommended will increase efficiency and reduce costs. So will an annual furnace tune-up from a professional. Give the same aenon to air filters and heang vents throughout your home. Clean out the dust and make sure they are not blocked to increase air flow. If you have a fireplace, close the damper ght to keep out cold air. Next, you can check windows and doorways for leaks. Check problem areas and caulking for any signs of gaps or cracks. The second way to check for leaks is a pressurizaon test. To perform this test, choose a cool, windy day and turn off any water heaters and gas-burning furnaces. Shut all windows, doors, fireplace dampers, and exhaust fans. Next, light an incense sck and pass it around the edges of common leak areas. Wherever the smoke wavers or is drawn in or out of the room, there is a draſt. You can also detect leaks by dampening your hand and feeling for cool air. Seal, caulk, or use weather-stripping on any leaks you discover. Thousands of dollars in energy costs can be aributed to heat escaping from poorly insulated homes. Taking simple steps to insulate windows and doors with inexpensive insulaon will significantly lower your energy costs. A storm window is also a powerful shield against the cold. Keep your curtains shut at night to keep in heat, but open them wide on sunny days to take advantage of solar energy. A humidifier will also help your room feel more comfortable without turning up the thermostat. So will adding carpet to any bare floors. In addion, you should reverse the direcon of your ceiling fan during the winter months to keep the warm air circulang downward. Refer to the owner ’s manual, but generally, the fan should move in a clockwise direcon to push heat down. On the other hand, exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms pull hot air from the room. Use them in very short intervals during the winter months. The hot water heater is a major consumer of energy in your home. Set the temperature below 120° in the winter, and make an effort to reduce hot water use. Consider using a low-flow shower head, and washing laundry with cold water uses up to 90 percent less energy. Also, your dishwasher will typically use less hot water than hand-washing dishes, but turn off the heat cycle and allow the dishes to air-dry for addional energy savings. If you are worried about the potenal for freezing water pipes because you ’re not using as much heat and hot water, wrap them with a low-cost foam wrap. Finally, think about using energy-saving light bulbs in your home. Fluorescent lighng uses significantly less energy than incandescent lighng, and a huge saver during the holiday season is the use of fun and colorful LED lights. These use 90 percent less energy than incandescent lighng. Source: www.homeadvisor.com www.LaurenGosse.com