As winter’s icy grip has taken hold of most of the country, you’ve probably already been smacked with your first heating bill of the year. The average American spends up to as much as 22% of their monthly budget on utilities, sometimes more if the weather doesn’t cooperate. And if you live in the north, forget about it!
Rather than just riding it out until spring, there are several ways you can lessen the impact of winter heating costs and save a bit of money. Here are 5 of them:
1) Keep a close eye on your thermostat.
Imagine your heater playing tug-of-war with the cold air outside. No matter how hard you try to winterize, the cold makes its way in and forces the heat to rise. When you set your thermostat to a certain temperature, it’s your heating unit’s job to keep the house at that number. The higher the temp, the more times it will have to kick on throughout the day to keep up.
This is especially true when the weather gets brutally cold. You might not think a few degrees will matter much, but it can add up quickly. You can save 1% on your heating costs by dropping the temperature 1 degree per every 8 hours. Which means you should consider times to lower your thermostat.
The best temperature to set for ultimate comfort and reasonable savings is 68 degrees. Every degree lower than that will keep your heater from kicking on as often, and ultimately saving on energy. Take extra steps to stay warm and save money, such as putting on a comfortable sweater, wearing socks, and turning it down 5-10 degrees at night and/or when you leave for the day.
2) Let the sun do all the work.
Even on the coldest of days, sunlight can help warm your home for you. When it’s bright and sunny out, feel free to lower the thermostat and open the blinds. Not only will the extra sunlight help you overcome those winter blues, but it can also raise the temperature of the home several degrees.
Also, as solar panels become more popular, a lot of people are installing very simple panels that help to generate extra heating power. This is especially true if they own remote properties that aren’t frequented during the winter, like cabins. Even during long stretches of dreary weather these solar panels help keep the temperature well above freezing.
3) Keep your heating system clean.
Think about what it’s like when you’re congesting. Breathing is difficult and requires more energy. The same happens when your heating system if you don’t clean out the filters regularly. Energy Star recommends that you clean the system on a monthly basis. There are several reasons for this.
-You can extend the life of your heating system by keeping it clean. If it has to work harder for a significant amount of time, it can damage or even destroy the unit much quicker.
-You help keep your air cleaner. Homes can get stuffy in the winter months. Everyone is stuck inside with the doors and windows sealed shut. There’s much less airflow to deal with the accumulating dust and debris. Cleaning the system ensures cleaner air.
-The Department of Energy says keeping your vents clean can save you between 5% to 15% on your heating costs.
4) Turn on the ceiling fan, but in reverse.
Helping to control the temperature environment in your home is easier when you understand the fundamentals of how air reacts. Cold air is denser, so it sinks. Warm air is lighter, so it rises. Most ceiling fans have a reverse function that helps to push warm air back down. So, when people are occupying a space that has a fan, run it on reverse, but be sure to shut it down after.
5) Plastic sheeting is a lifesaver.
If you have brand new, top of the line windows, you probably won’t have much of an issue keeping your house warm. For the rest of us, older windows are used to take the brunt mother nature has thrown at it. It’s not uncommon for windows (or areas near the windows) to have small gaps where the warm air escapes.
As the air escapes, it means your heater will have to kick on more times to keep up with the flow of air moving away from the house. A lot of people put a lot of effort into ‘winterizing’ their homes for the winter. They put up plastic sheeting over the windows to help insulate and keep the warm air inside where it belongs.
