6 Essential Money – Saving Tips for Your Home Heating

Source: Pixabay.com

Winter is still a long way off, so it may seem a little odd discussing heating bills now. Nevertheless, you can never brace yourself too early. It’s crucial that you arm yourself with the knowledge needed to make sure your utility bills do not become a pain.

When the cold weather sets in, keeping yourself warm is not optional but essential.

However, there are ways you can do that without burdening yourself with stressful bills. Well, choose two different providers and compare prices on Simply switch and choose that suits you well.

The good thing is many of the tips we discuss below are inexpensive and fairly easy to apply.

1. Change Air Filters

When your air filters are clogged with dirt, dust, pet fur, and grime, they hinder the smooth flow of air thereby increasing your energy use. The basic maintenance routine of changing your furnace’s air filters every 1-3 months can cut your heating costs by about 5 percent per year. We’re talking potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars in savings annually.

Saving money isn’t the only benefit of regularly changing air filters though—it also prolongs your furnace’s useful life. Of course, changing air filters should form part of a regular maintenance schedule. You could contract a reputable third-party repair service to do it professionally (if you are a resident of Napa, Sonoma, or Marin counties, learn more about Valley Comfort Heating And Air).

2. Seal Gaps and Leaks

Gaps in doors and windows are a leading cause of heat loss (about 30 percent of heating loss). Ergo, installing caulking or weather-stripping on windows and doors can slash your heating bill by as much as 10 percent.

Ducts are another major source of heat loss. Leaking ducts are responsible for more than a quarter of heating costs in the home. Checking, repairing, and sealing leaking ductwork can be an arduous task. It’s best to hire a seasoned contractor that has the tools needed to comprehensively test duct tightness and repair any leaks.

3. Close Off Your Chimney

Leaving your chimney open can render your heating efforts ineffective. So if you have a fireplace, always keep your damper closed whenever it isn’t in use. Consider installing a chimney balloon. It is an inflatable device that is inserted and firmly presses against the inner walls of the chimney thus keeping heated air in the home and the cold air out.

4. Lower Thermostat When No One is Home

There’s no benefit of warming your home when there’s no one in it. When you leave for work, school, vacation, or any other activity that would keep your house vacant for hours or days, there’s no need to keep your heating system running at high levels.

People who reduce their thermostat by 7-10 degrees for at least 8 hours a day can see as much as 10 percent savings in their heating costs. Just keep the heating at a level that’s high enough to prevent pipes from freezing.

5. Thick Curtains

By installing thick, wall-length curtains to your windows, you can keep the cold winter drafts from wafting into your home. It’s something that anyone can do, but the benefits in containing heating costs are significant.

That being said, always take note of which curtains to open and close during daylight, so you can benefit from free solar heating. Typically, south-facing windows will allow more sunlight in so they should be open to complement the heating system.

6. Upgrade Your Heating System

Each year, makers of heating systems explore and incorporate new ways to make their equipment more efficient. The longer you hold on to a heating system the more you lose out on the benefits that come with newer releases.

So although your current heating system may seem to work well and meet your needs at the moment, upgrading could help you cut down your heating expenditure even further. There may also be changes to your home’s interior design, structure, fittings, and furniture that could render your current system less effective than it was before thus necessitating an upgrade.

Heating systems are a necessary evil for a comfortable, warm life during those dreary winter days. You can keep your heating costs under control by applying the above tips. Always seek the help of an experienced HVAC service provider whenever you are unsure about how to apply any of these tips.