The Old Farmer's Almanac Says Colder than Average Winter Looms so It's Time to Winterize Your Home from Top to Bottom

BOSTON, Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- That tried and true predictor of nature, The Old Farmer's Almanac, says winter in the Northeast will be an above-average chilly one with a snowy December so it's time to get serious about your winter energy preparations and savings, says Next Step Living, the leading provider of whole home energy solutions in the Northeast. While cold and snow are not exotic to New Englanders, a recent online quiz from Next Step Living reveals many homeowners are still unaware of potential energy-saving practices that can help mitigate winter's chill and costs.

More than 1,400 people took the Next Step Living Home Energy Wizard quiz on home energy efficiency, entitled "Nine Answers Every Homeowner Should Know." While the overall average score was 65%, there were some startling gaps in homeowner knowledge about energy efficiency. Only 26% knew how much of their energy costs likely came from heating and cooling, and only 51% knew how to tell if their home lacked proper weatherization. On the plus side, 81% of homeowners knew where phantom loads came from (energy used by electronics in standby mode) and 88% understood that making your home energy-efficient does not have to be expensive.

"From these results, we can see that many homeowners have some base knowledge about home energy efficiency," says Next Step Living Vice President of Operations and Division General Manager Dave Boettcher. "However, we still have a ways to go in order to close the knowledge gap on how homes use energy, and that's where Next Step Living comes in. We educate homeowners on the measures they can take to save money, reduce their energy consumption and live more comfortably."

As winter approaches, Next Step Living encourages homeowners to download its seasonal energy savings checklist at NextStepLiving.com/ColdWeather.

Here are just a few of the tips from the checklist:

• Trim branches and shrubs that are blocking your windows, to let the sun in and take advantage of radiant heat.
• Change out those furnace filters for efficiency and better air quality.
• Have a heating system specialist tune up your boiler or furnace now, before freezing temperatures take hold.

"It is Next Step Living's goal to make it accessible and affordable for homeowners to adopt energy-saving solutions," said Boettcher. "With our educational quiz and our checklist we help homeowners identify the areas where they can do more to adopt energy efficiency measures and save on their utility bills as well."

For more energy savings ideas visit HomeEnergy.Tips and view YouTube.com/ NextStepLivingTV.

About Next Step Living
One of the fastest-growing companies in the country, Next Step Living is a leading provider of energy solutions in the Northeast. With its cornerstone top-to-bottom home energy assessment to identify ways to save money and energy, Next Step Living and its expanding portfolio of energy-saving solutions makes it easy to take immediate action towards living more sustainably, affordably and comfortably. Headquartered in Boston's Innovation District, the Next Step Living team is at the forefront of a more sustainable future. Please visit NextStepLiving.com for more information.  

CONTACT:
Jean Sexton
Spiralgroup
[email protected]
+1.415.347.1431

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SOURCE Next Step Living

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