Tips to stay warm, save money in winter

While Long Island is out of the deep freeze, the region got a good taste of winter’s potential for bitter temperatures over the holiday weekend.

PSEG Long Island is offering tips to stay warm, and save energy and money.

The tips include lowering the thermostat by just one degree to potentially reduce heating bills. Lowering it two degrees during the day and five to 10 degrees at night will save even more.

The utility recommends using a programmable thermostat to automatically manage heating and cooling needs. Energy Star estimates that properly used programmable thermostats can save the average American household about $180 a year. In addition, PSEG Long Island offers rebates on smart thermostats.

Long Islanders can also install a high efficiency air source heat pump to lower energy usage in cold and hot months. Rebates are available from PSEG Long Island’s Home Comfort Program for these units as well as ducted geothermal heat pumps and ductless mini split systems. There are also programs for enhanced rebates for customers who meet certain income qualifications.

Long Islanders can replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs since, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for about 15% of the electricity used in the home, and LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer.

By installing timers and motion detectors, Long Islanders may automatically manage indoor and outdoor lighting and help ensure lights are not on when not needed.

Sealing windows and doorframes with weather stripping or caulk, and removing or covering window air conditioners can help prevent drafts that waste energy and money. Ceiling fans can be used to save energy in winter. Setting a fan to rotate clockwise on low pulls cool air toward the ceiling, pushing warm air down into a room.

Additional tips include reducing “phantom power” by using energy efficient power strips or unplugging electronic devices when they’re not in use. Items plugged into outlets use electricity even when they’re turned off.

Closing fireplace dampers when not in use can stop warm air from escaping through chimneys. And by removing furniture or items from heating vents, customers can prevent blocked vents. Long Islanders are also reminded to open any register or baseboard dampers.

In addition, open curtains and blinds that face the sun on sunny days to warm spaces, and close them at night to keep the warm air inside.