Winter Green

How to stay warm and eco friendly this winter

While the rest of the world laughs with envy, Southern California residents are experiencing "Winter" weather.

(no need to mention last week was in the 80's).

Image via: Instagram.com

The East coast may be in denial, but the truth is we do experience seasons! On average our temps will drop to a bone chilling 40 "ish" degrees in the Wintertime. Brrrr!

image via: mynameisyeh.com

Sarcasm aside, it's important to be mindful about energy consumption all year long and winter is certainly no exception, even in sunny SoCal.

Top 5 ways to stay eco friendly and warm this winter:

1. Light some incense

Yep, you read that right. Lighting some incense is one of the easiest ways to catch drafts in your home. Even if your structure seems nicely insulated, small cracks can result in huge losses in energy savings while causing major increases in your energy bill. Simply light an incense stick and walk next to windows and doors. The incense smoke will show you where leaks are so you can calk them.

2. Clean air Act

Time to change those air filters! The wintertime is especially tough on your ducts and filters because we tend to crank up the heat on cooler nights. If you leave yours dirty the heater will have to work extra hard to warm up your home. This creates more energy consumption, and once again a higher energy bill.

3. Ceiling fan switch

Run all your ceiling fans in a clockwise direction. This sounds weird, but it actually works and may the be easiest way to save on your heating bill. This easy change moves the heat that rises to the ceiling and disperses it downward and into different areas of the home. This can reduce your energy costs by 10%. If you don't have ceiling fans this may be a reason to get one or two.

4. Close doors

Focus on the areas you live in. If you have rooms in your home that you don't use every day make sure you keep those doors closed at all times. Unused rooms and spaces will make your thermostat much less efficient.

5. Go shopping

Any excuse to go shopping right? It's true that cold feet can chill the rest of the body and area rugs are an excellent way to create more warmth and comfort for the body. When you have enough of your floor covered you'll notice you don't need to turn the heat up as high. No funds for a big rug? Invest in some thick socks and slippers, and even some "light" long johns, (this is SoCal after all).

Image via: yelp.com

We may be wimps but we're the one's with the last laugh with views like this, year round.

Have winter woes you wish to share or Real Estate questions you need answered? Schedule a free chat with us, we would love to hear from you!