How to Reduce Your Heating Bills This Winter.
As temperatures start to drop, so does our bank account balance with the sudden increase in heating costs. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to keep our home warm without having to break the bank? Luckily, there are some steps you can take to help lower your heating bill this winter.
1. Check for drafts. One of the biggest causes of high heating bills is due to heat escaping from our homes through cracks and holes. To help prevent this heat loss, check your windows and doors for any drafts. You can usually feel a draft by holding your hand near the suspected area. Once you have found the drafts, seal them with caulk or weatherstripping.
2. Insulate your ceilings, walls, and floors. Another way heat escapes is due to poor insulation. By adding insulation to your ceilings, walls, and floors, you can help keep the heat in and lower your heating bills.
3. Use window treatments wisely. Window treatments are not just for aesthetics; they can also help reduce heat loss in your home. Windows are typically the thinnest part of our homes, which means they offer little protection against the cold weather outside. During the day, open your curtains or blinds to allow sunlight to enter and help heat up your home naturally. At night, close them to create an extra barrier between you and the cold outside air.
4. Lower your thermostat at night or when you’re away from home. Heating costs make up a large portion of our energy bills, so it’s important to keep that in mind when setting the temperature in our homes.
During the daytime when we’re home and awake, we can set the thermostat a little lower than usual to help reduce costs. At night or when we’re away from home for extended periods of time, we can lower it even more since we don’t need as much warmth then. Just be sure not to lower it too much as that can cause other problems like freezing pipes.
5. Bring in some extra warmth with alternate heat sources. If you find yourself using your heater more often than usual or cranking up the temperature higher than normal, it may be time to invest in some alternate heat sources like space heaters or electric blankets. These can help supplement your heat and take some of the strain off of your system, which could help prolong its life span as well as lower your energy bills each month.
Conclusion: Wintertime doesn’t have to mean astronomically high energy bills. By taking some simple steps like sealing drafts, insulating your home, using window treatments wisely, lowering your thermostat, and bringing in some extra warmth with alternate heat sources, you can help keep your home warm all winter long without breaking the bank.
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