January was COLD and I’m dreading the January heating bill!

January has been one of the coldest in many years. Are you dreading your January heating bill? I know that I am.

The HVAC system, for heating and cooling, accounts for 30% of your home’s energy bill.

I thought that we had maintained our own home pretty well – here are some of the things that we got done to keep those energy bills low:

1.     Entire ductwork was redone.

2.     All windows were replaced with double-pane low-E glass windows.

3.     Outer doors were weather-stripped and routinely checked.

4.     HVAC system is 2 years old.

5.     Decent insulation under our floor boards but attic could use some more since insulation shrinks with age.

6.      An annual contract with a reputable heating and air company to check the system twice a year.

In spite of all this, last week, when the young man from the heat and air company came to check on the system, my husband and he found, literally, a large hole from which heat was escaping. The attic fan!

We love the attic fan. In spring and fall, we open windows and turn on the attic fan. All the stale air inside the home is sucked into the attic and cool air is drawn in through the windows.

But… in all these years, we didn’t realize that the louvers of the attic fan don’t close perfectly. We have, in fact, been losing heat and air through these vents! What a waste!

So… if you have an attic fan in your home, do check out attic fan covers. Several brands are available online and in stores.

That’s my task for this week – to get an attic fan cover and install it.

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