This spring, be sure to seal those leaky windows with caulking and weatherstripping.

Spring is a perfect time of the year to make your home more energy efficient. Here are five quick tips that will save you both energy and money.

1. Seal cracks and gaps around your home. Spring may be the right time to put away those storm windows, but it is also a good time to add weatherstripping and caulking around leaky windows. Don’t stop there — look for penetrations around your home that may need maintenance.
2. Change filters monthly. Furnace and air conditioner filters need to be changed regularly. This will maintain that your HVAC system can have maximum performance. Dirty filters can restrict air flow and reduce the overall efficiency of your cooling system, making it work very hard on hot days.
3. Check your refrigerator. Clean the outside of the refrigerator as well as the inside. Gently vacuuming the outside coils and checking the seals for air leaks can improve the refrigerator’s efficiency. Ideally, a refrigerator’s temperature should be between 37 and 40 F for maximum efficiency. When it’s time to replace your refrigerator, be sure to buy an ENERGY STAR®-labeled appliance.
4. Think sun block. You can save on your cooling costs each month by closing the blinds on your south-facing windows.
5. Control temperature settings. Do you have a programmable or smart thermostat? This is one of the first steps in regulating your cooling costs. Set your thermostat to 78 in the summer and 68 in the winter.

Did you know?

When power lines contact each other, it can cause blinking lights in homes and can create a colorful electric arc.

Some people saw blue or green flashes of light in the sky this winter after a snow storm. Due to buildup of ice on the power lines and/or high winds, the lines may swing and slap together. If this happens, it causes a fault, which may cause blinking lights or an outage, and create a bright blue electric arc. While this activity can be a nuisance, it generally is not harmful, and doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a larger problem that needs to be addressed.

If you should see or hear any arcing or experience blinking lights, call DCREMC with your location to report it.