Northeast States: Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland Homeowners

As homeowners, we are always in search of the latest ways to cut costs on our monthly energy bills. What some individuals may not know is that there are different ways to save money on our utilities that change with each season. For other homeowners living in the southeast or southwest such as Florida or California, they really do not have to combat heating issues. However, for those of us who live in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, we can definitely benefit from as many energy saving tips as we can use! Following are some simple steps us northeastern state homeowners can use during this fall season to help reduce costs on utility bills.

Some northeastern homes have inefficient piping coming out of exterior walls. This is especially inefficient in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland where exterior walls are battered by frigid temperatures through the cold winter months of the year. Having exterior piping along the outside of your home causes the water in the pipes to cool down during the cooler seasons, taking longer for heated water to come through the faucet after turning it on. This causes your water heater to work overtime and also wastes extra water waiting for the water to get warm. Proper pipe insulation and restructuring of exterior piping that exists helps prevent this issue and take you a step closer to a greener plumbing system.

Another step you can take to save money in the coming seasons and all year long, is to go tankless. Save money on your water heater by replacing your old tank water heater with a tankless, more efficient model that only spends energy heating water when you need it.

Fall is typically the time of the year where the heater is first turned on. This means that the gas bill is much higher than the past several months. Another key to keeping the gas bill low during the fall is not turning your thermostat too high. It is suggested that you not set the thermostat higher than 68 degrees. You probably will not need to during the fall, anyways, if you have already taken the necessary steps to ensure your home is properly insulated throughout, such as around windows, doors, and the attic, for example.  In addition, try simply cuddling up and throwing on a couple of extra blankets instead of turning up the thermostat at night. This will have a huge effect on your monthly utility bills, as well. The good news is, it’s estimated that for every degree you reduce your thermostat, you can save 2 percent off of your energy bill! Now that’s savings you can make and see right away!

Have questions on preparing your home’s Loudon County plumbing system for fall? Call Powell’s Plumbing today at 540-636-8196. We also service 18 other counties in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland!