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Dear Hunter,
Each month, the BOWA Home Advisor provides you with important tips on how to improve
and protect your home's value and family's safety. We hope the following is helpful.
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How Much Could you be Saving on your Heating Bills?

During the winter months, many homeowners are looking for ways to keep their energy
bills down, while still keeping their homes nice and toasty. With 50% of the average
homes' energy usage going toward heating and cooling alone, the winter months provide
an opportunity for considerable savings. Listed below are some helpful tips for
lowering your home heating bills while Jack Frost is in town.

Maintain Your Heating Unit

Did you know that proper maintenance of your heating unit will help ensure its efficiency,
and may save you up to $400 a year on heating bills? Oil heaters and heat pumps
should be professionally cleaned and serviced once a year and gas systems should
receive maintenance once every two years. In addition, during periods of high use,
such as winter and summer, homeowners should inspect the filters on their furnace
monthly. Since a dirty filter will block airflow and decrease the furnace's life
expectancy, it is recommended that you replace the filters when they first appear
dirty or every three months at a minimum. Replacing the air filter is a simple but
often forgotten maintenance step, and costs under $20 to do it yourself. If your
furnace is over 20 years old, consider replacing it with an energy efficient model.
Running an older furnace will cost significantly more in the long run, than upgrading
to a newer, more energy efficient model.

Programmable Thermostats

Did you know that lowering your thermostat by just one degree can reduce your heating-related
energy costs by about 4%? With this in mind, installing a programmable thermostat
in each zone of your home is a wise investment. These units allow you to automatically
control the temperature of your house on a set schedule, so you no longer have to
remember to turn the heat down before running out the door. And you can program
the temperature to rise again about an hour before you come home so it adjusts to
your liking before you arrive. For additional savings, consider turning the temperature
down again when everyone goes to bed for the night. The average cost per programmable
unit ranges from $30 to $100 depending on the model. However once installed, they
can save homeowners up to $180 per year in heating and cooling costs.

Fixing Air Leaks

Did you know that 20-30% of the heat that is lost in a home occurs through air leaks?
To identify these leaks, consider having a professional home energy audit [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=rfegbsn6&et=1104373414416&s=5682&e=001O04vTP9gCY20GqLePviKW-xbr2YqEjgChw6M6Lj6IExRCHyGhFPCe_E6b2YCOyPAaOH5sfeyLc65le7jvFL9NqWvo_04Np-Sgno29MvMtiQSvVg8Rg4pLmYCysZ8I9T7B1SeRX3jSjDlBjNUI9uNyf9u8ZvsGw0sGYmk39TLn8b80MjwYnKNt4qeRcytzUfV0HLF8__cdpY=]
done on your home. A "blower door test" is a useful diagnostic tool that can help
locate and measure air leaks in your home. After performing a set of tests and measurements,
a professional home energy auditor will be able to help you determine which improvements
will have the greatest impact on your home. At a minimum, treat the drafts around
your doors, windows and light fixtures. Sealing these areas appropriately with caulk,
spray foam, or weather-stripping [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=rfegbsn6&et=1104373414416&s=5682&e=001O04vTP9gCY3sMIbAQzQOMqbTi4ppvQ5OQ5Na_fsftv86FJoMRg7coehWs742fOsnqvP8hnxodNXRka-vTh1quSrdKv8jnUhPcRFT4qb0EdFU_cVk---nRUEps3rv9MkEiVd6pcWsrY8KRv4TbeAQOQMYMOO2dlNI]
is an efficient and economical first step. This can generally be done very inexpensively
but will have a significant positive impact on your wallet.

Proper Insulation

Did you know that a typical house that uses a duct system for heating and cooling
loses about 20% of the air that moves through the system, due to leaks and connections
that are improperly sealed? Although ducts that are concealed behind walls and between
floors are difficult to fix, exposed ducts in attics, basements, crawlspaces and
garages can easily be repaired by using a duct sealant. Another option to help
conserve energy is insulating the ducts in these spaces. The attic is usually the
least expensive place to start if you're looking to add extra installation to the
shell of your home. A quick test for determining if you need more is if you can
see rafters or floor joists - if the answer is yes, then it is advisable to install
additional insulation with a rating between R-38 and R-49. For most Washingtonians,
after air- and duct-sealing, a layer of blown-in cellulose is the most cost-effective
and environmentally-friendly way to add insulation. There are other options available,
such as fiberglass, rigid foam board and spray foam, and your home remodeling contractor
can typically recommend which is the best type for your home and budget.

Now the question is - what are you going to do with all that extra money in your
pocket?
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For your convenience, past issues of the BOWA Home Advisor are available in the
"News" section of our web site [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=rfegbsn6&et=1104373414416&s=5682&e=001O04vTP9gCY0GOwzXq4w1lyAXNXtXz199zaN3rwvlZKPd6umvnglIPIiNly8C0hfAAbxTHABs-4OCroTeHyFyeC5NqUvk0hhxu8u7SMmWkxcH1972P3m2Hv7WxHzVoqk7].


If you would like more information on any of these topics of if there are other
ways we can be of service, please contact BOWA [mailto:info@bowa.com].


Regards,
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Kathy Kelly Hines
BOWA

kathyk@bowa.com [mailto:kathyk@bowa.com]
phone: 703-734-9050
www.bowa.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=rfegbsn6&et=1104373414416&s=5682&e=001O04vTP9gCY1lI4drlA9-iUmT7mxEBkQ_az614RoJT0xhB_5lk3IRQFkyxOm1QFabRV1GFXX0L1-K1CTwvzHlwfj5sXhbTu4KoX1qhJTF-00=]
P.S. Have a specific issue you would like addressed in a future BOWA Home Advisor?
Please let me know [mailto:kathyk@bowa.com].

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