Heating - Saving Money Tips
How To Save Money On Heating:
1. Replace your old thermostat with a programmable model. Low-cost models sell for around $25 and can easily pay back their cost within a couple of months. Better yet, they can save you more than $1,000 over the years.
2. Be sure to set your thermostat as low as possible in the winter while still being comfortable. The closer your indoor temperature is to the outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall heating bill will be.
3. If you don't have a programmable thermostat, you don't need to set your thermostat at a warmer setting than normal when you first get up. This will not warm your home any faster and it usually results in excessive heating which costs you money.
4. Call your local utility company to see if they offer energy audits. Many offer free or low cost inspections and free information booklets that can help reduce your heating costs.
5. Check for window air leaks and repair them. You can do this by placing a lighted candle near the windows. If there are leaks, use caulking to repair them.
6. If at all possible, install double-pane windows in your house. Single pane windows or windows that are improperly insulated can account for up to 15 percent of your heating costs.
7. Check to see if you feel a breeze at the bottom of your doors. Use a lighted candle and if it flickers you will know that air is passing under the door. If so, purchase door sweeps to help block the flow to keep your rooms warmer and use less energy.
8. Close the heating vents in rooms that are rarely used. There is no use heating a room that nobody is using. The one issue you need to take care about is determining where your thermostat sensors are located. If they are located in a room that you close off, you may actually make your furnace work harder as it tries to warm a room that you have effectively shut off.
9. Close doors to rooms that are not often used. This will keep the furnace from heating more space than necessary.
10. Keep all your closet doors closed. There is no need to heat your closets during the winter.
11. If you have pets, consider installing a pet door to save energy. Holding doors open for pets while they make up their mind whether to go out or stay in increases the load on your your furnace during the winter.
12. Change your furnace filter once a month. Dirty filters reduce airflow, making your furnace work harder and lowering the performance and efficiency of the entire heating system which ultimately costs you more money.
13. Close the curtains on north-facing windows. This will help insulate them and keep the house warmer.
14. Open your curtains wide on south-facing windows to let in as much sunshine as possible. Only close them after the sun has gone down.
15. If you have shutters, close those on the north side of the house and all of them in the evening when the sun goes down.
16. Be sure to turn off your ventilating fans in the kitchen, bathroom and other areas when not in use. Accidentally leaving one on can clear out a houseful of warmed air in about an hour meaning you have to reheat the entire room.
17. Make sure the flue of your fireplace is closed when not in use since leaving it open is the same as leaving one of your windows wide open.
18. If you never use the fireplace, consider having the flue plugged and sealed.
19. If you do use your fireplace, check the seal on the flue damper and adjust so that it is as tight as possible.
20. Use a candle to see if there are any leaks originating from the fireplace hearth. if so, caulk them so that air is no longer leaking out.
21. Have your furnace or boiler checked yearly by a professional to make sure it's running efficiently. Not only will this save you money now by having it work at top performance, it will also save you money in the long run by extending the life of this equipment.
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