Hi I am Lou Manfredini and I have been a home builder for more than 20 years and I have had the opportunity to give people a lot of advice when it comes to building and renovating their homes. You might have seen me as the home contributor for the Today Show that I currently do. I also host the television show called House Smarts which is syndicated across the country and I also write a column for you as a weekend called House Smarts. And, I am very proud to represent Marvin Windows and Doors especially when it comes to giving you tips on how you can save money on your energy bills.
Now behind me, you will see that I am actually in the Marvin factory here at War Road, Minnesota where it gets pretty cold, actually up to 40 degrees below zero. So, they know a lot about staying warm, comfortable, and conserving money on their energy bills. Now, there are things that you can do that do not cost a lot of money and can have a dramatic effect. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, this is an easy one, you have regular incandescent bulbs and you have these new CFLs, if you replace the five most used light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescents, you can save up to $60.00 on your energy bill and on your electric bill in a 12 month period.
Now, here is something else that is pretty dramatic, if every home in America change to compact fluorescent light bulbs, only five of them. So, think about it every home in America, five compact fluorescent light bulbs, we could build 21 fewer power plants which means; our carbon foot print in how we affect Mother Nature would be reduced and ultimately that means we are going to save money on our energy bills.
Now, when it comes to your furnace you can do something as simple as putting in a programmable thermostat, it is very easy to do and by manipulating the temperature in your home, you can actually reduce the cost of energy the heat to cool your home by 20%. So, say you are away of work for a while or you are under the covers at night by lowering or raising that temperature depending on the time of the year by no more than 10° you can see that dramatic savings.
Now of course, windows and doors are the area of greatest loss and that is really what we are here to talk about because this is something that everyone should get consider. You got old windows like this; you can feel the draft probably when you are standing next to it. If you are not quite sure light a candle like this one here and take it, run and it up and down in the frame as you see that flame start to flicker you know you have drafty windows. Now, drafty windows contribute to higher energy bills.
Now, you can do something like window film kits like this, they go on the windows and they are pretty easy to install but it is more of a temporary fix. You know, you are going to put those on there; you are going to use the dryer and seal it up. You can even use weather stripping that goes on doors in the front there. This is a simple thing to do, you can get it at the hardware store and that is a great way to reduce drafts.
But, what you do on a more permanent basis, well my recommendation is to consider replacing your windows. This are brand new replacement windows by Marvin, they are wood replacement windows and what is terrific really about them is they just receive the JD Power and Associate ranked Marvin in highest in satisfaction with builders and re-modelers, that is a pretty tough crowd. But, the real benefit to you is by installing a brand new replacement window, a wood replacement window like this, you can increase the energy efficiency of that drafty window I first showed you by up to 70%. Think about that up to 70% savings on a drafty window versus a brand new window and the best part about is you can just take a finger and lift it right up and lower it right down. So, you do not have to use a wooden spoon to keep the window open.
But, the real benefit of a replacement windows is, it is a one-two punch. You save money on your energy bills and you add value to your home. As a home owner, you are always looking for home improvements that will add value to your home. Replacing your windows and doors, being smart about your energy usage will give you that benefit for years to come.
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