Heating Tips l Cooling Tips l Plumbing Tips l Water Heater Tips

Heating Tips

Try these money-saving ideas to keep your home heating bills under control:

Be more energy conscious: Turn off lights, electronics and appliances when you are finished using them. Letting electronics run constantly can silently drain energy and waste money.

Improve your furnace efficiency: Step up to a high efficiency furnace for more comfortable home temperatures and lower your heating costs. Older furnaces are often less than 60% efficient. This means for every dollar you spend on fuel, 40% is being lost as heat straight up the chimney. Modern, more efficient furnaces have efficiency ratings over 90%. If your budget can afford it, consider a two-stage high-efficiency furnace equipped with a variable speed blower motor. In addition to lower heating bills, these models can save you up to 50% in electricity costs compared to furnaces equipped with conventional blower motors.

Clean and maintain your system: Regular servicing will help your system run more efficiently and to provide better indoor air quality. Clear debris and clutter away from around heating & cooling equipment, and replace your filters regularly. To further improve indoor air quality, consider the addition of an electronic air cleaner to capture airborne particles that pass right through standard throw-away filters.

Save with your thermostat: The simplest way to lower your winter heating bill is to set your thermostat as low as comfortably possible to minimize the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures. One option is to install a programmable thermostat. These thermostats raise and lower your home's temperature based on your lifestyle.

Stop the leaks: You may be losing significant amounts of warm air through leaks in your ductwork, attic, attic openings, lights and electrical fixtures, and around windows. The easiest solution is to caulk, seal and weather strip all seams and cracks to the outside. Duct improvements may require professional assistance. You can request a ductwork inspection to identify any problem areas and to improve your home's comfort.

Use ventilating fans wisely: Kitchen and bathroom ventilating fans can quickly pull out warm air from your home, so turn them off when they have served their purpose.

Use open fireplaces sparingly: In just a short period of time, an open wood fire can exhaust significant quantities of warm air straight up the chimney. This air is replaced with cold, draughty air coming in from outside. Use your fireplace sparingly, and keep the damper closed when you're not using it. This will help keep warm air from escaping up the chimney, and put less demand on your heating and cooling system.

Add extra insulation: Proper insulation is the easiest and most cost-efficient way to reduce home energy bills. You may need a professional to add insulation to exterior walls but some projects, like adding attic insulation, is a great job for the do-it-yourselfer and will pay off is lower heating bills.

Open the curtains: During the day, open curtains and blinds on the south side of the house to let the sun's warmth into the home. Try using thick, insulating curtains to reduce heat loss through windows at night.

Maintain the right humidity levels: During the dry winter months, moisture levels in the home can affect your heating costs, comfort and health. Humidifiers add moisture to dry air in your home, which helps your body stay hydrated and comfortable.