That Time of Year – Again
There are many signs that fall has arrived. The kids are back in school, the leaves are starting to turn, the days are getting shorter and the Halloween candy is in the stores. Don’t you just love those little fool-yourself-into-thinking-you-haven’t-consumed-ten-gazillion-calories little candy bars? I mean they’re bite-sized, that’s nothing compared to a full-size bar! So what if you eat twenty-five in a sitting? ( By sitting I mean locked in the pantry, in the dark, so your family won’t see you.
The arrival of fall also means that winter is not far behind. After all, it’s only three months until Christmas. (That struck fear in your heart, didn’t it?) The coming of Fall also means it is time to put away the mower (yay) and start winterizing your home. Economists are forecasting record high heating costs so it will behoove all of us to ensure our homes are as energy efficient as they can be.
A home energy audit is the best way to determine if your home is performing well and where you need to make improvements to maximize the level of efficiency. To find a list of certified energy raters in Colorado you can visit the Residential Energy Services website. The U.s. Department of Energy website has great resources on audits including information on do-it yourself home energy audits. GEO, the Governor’s Energy Office, offers free energy efficiency upgrades which includes a comprehensive energy audit.
Some measures to consider are keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees during the day and turning it down to 60 degrees at bedtime or when you are gone. Clean or replace your furnace filter every month. Keep vents clean and away from furniture. Close vents and doors in unused rooms. Close fireplace dampers when not in use. Seal leaky ducts. Remove window-mounted air conditioners.
Fall is also a time for many outdoor projects such as cleaning gutters and winterizing sprinkler systems. Sometimes it is difficult to accomplish all of these tasks by ourselves. Please check out the Daily Camera Consumer Guide on this website or in print. This is a handy directory of professionals to help you with all of your home project needs.
We are fortunate to live in a place where fall is absolutely incredible. I say let the professionals do the dirty work and get out there and make the most of the season!
Scridb filter“Most of all, he loved the fall,” Ernest Hemingway.
