{"id":1285,"date":"2024-12-12T14:56:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T20:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maenergyratings.com\/blog\/?p=1285"},"modified":"2024-12-12T14:56:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T20:56:17","slug":"how-to-get-ready-for-bitter-cold-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maenergyratings.com\/blog\/how-to-get-ready-for-bitter-cold-this-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Ready for Bitter Cold This Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Stay Warm This Cold Winter Season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Winter
Start saving energy and money on your home heating bills this winter with these easy home sealing tips.<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Winter has only just begun and already we’re feeling temperatures in the 30s. But with a La Nina winter and a polar vortex<\/a> to think about it, it may get even colder. That’s why now’s the time to make sure your home is prepped and ready for a bitter winter freeze. While it’s important to get cheap Massachusetts electric rates<\/a>, weatherizing your home can help you stay warmer and save extra cash. This handy guide will help you get ready for this bitter cold winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter Seal Your Home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Giving your home a proper air seal treatment is one of the best ways to save energy. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that about 25% of home energy use<\/a> is due to drafty, poorly sealed windows. This is because your HVAC system must run longer to heat that cold air coming through all those air leaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, there are many cheap and easy projects that can help. But to make the biggest impact on your energy bills<\/a>, you need to know where to work. You can figure that out with a DIY home energy assessment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Primarily, you’re looking cracks, gaps, and any spaces that could let air in or out. Alternately, you could call for a professional home assessment. But if you do that, make sure you call your Massachusetts utility company<\/a>. Many of them offer free home energy assessments that can include huge rebates for energy upgrades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIY Energy Saving Projects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many weatherizing projects<\/a> that can help you save more energy. But these are the easiest to start with these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caulk Your Windows<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you caulk your windows<\/a> as soon as possible. The project is simple to do, takes about 1-2 hours, and costs anywhere from $3-$30 to do. Sealing your windows could cut your energy use by 10-20%. To put it in perspective, the average MA home uses about 550 kilowatt-hours<\/a> (kWh) of energy per month. So air sealed windows could mean you’re using only 500 kWh of energy each month. Eversource<\/a><\/strong> charges 17.216 cents per kilowatt hour. This means your monthly supply charge could go down from $94 to $86 per month!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insulate Your Home<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you’re at it, be sure to check your home insulation<\/a>, especially in your attic and around the pipes in your basement. A properly insulated attic will help keep the warmth inside your home and not let it escape into your attic. Pipe insulation<\/a>, for example, can keep your pipes from bursting during cold snaps, cut your water heating use, and save you up to 3-4% on your energy bills annually. That means saving almost $34 a year for the average MA home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get Winter Prepped In MA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Forecasts predict that there is a chance for a warmer than usual winter overall. But between La Nina and the polar vortex, we could be looking at a snowy and frosty winter in MA. So make sure you prep your home before your next electricity bill reaches its cold fingers into your bank account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you come back and shop for the best electricity deals in town right here at https:\/\/www.maenergyratings.com<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stay Warm This Cold Winter Season Winter has only just begun and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mbp_gutenberg_autopost":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy-efficiency","category-save-money"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Get Ready for Bitter Cold This Winter - MAER: The Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"New England could have a colder winter this year. 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