7 Tips To Help Lower Your Heating Bills in Your First Home
Winter is just around the corner, which means it’s almost time for many households to start dusting off their heating systems to keep everybody warm and toasty once the temperature drops. Of course, the onset of the colder months also means one more thing: higher utility bills.
We’re all aware that heating takes up a significant percentage of our utility bills, so there’s a certain level of acceptance on our part that we’re going to have to spend more to stay warm. That, however, doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to lower our heating costs.
Starting off with good habits in your first home will save you a lot of money going forward. Here are some tips that would help us do just that.
1. Lower your thermostat
Turn down the thermostat just a few degrees, and you will knock your heating bill down by about 5 to 10 percent. Don’t worry, if you’re already comfortable with the temperature in the room, adjusting the thermostat by a degree is something you won’t really notice.
2. Reduce heat loss
You could have one of the most efficient heating systems in the world, and you would still be paying astronomical heating bills because of a bad case of home heat loss.
While it’s perfectly normal for the heat your furnace generates to eventually escape through the roof, walls, windows, floors, and doors, you can actually slow down or reduce heat loss if your home is properly insulated. So draft-proof your home, put up loft insulation in the loft space, plug holes in exterior walls, and insulate your windows and doors to help keep in the heat.
3. Let the sun shine in
Take advantage of sunlight and let as much of it into your home during the day. So if you keep the drapes closed in the evening to help retain heat, then you should open them during the day to enjoy natural light and heat indoors in the middle of winter.
Do this especially on the south side of your house because that’s where you get more direct sunlight. If there are tree branches or shrubs that block that sunlight, then you should trim them. When night falls, close those drapes to retain the heat.
4. Use other sources of heat
Your furnace or heat pump isn’t the only thing inside your home that can generate warmth. Cooking can create a lot of heat. You can let heat spread through your kitchen by baking something in the oven then leaving the door open once dinner’s done, and you’ve taken it out.
When taking a shower, leave the bathroom open to let the heat of the steam transfer to other parts of the house. Even watching TV can produce a certain amount of heat.
5. Make sure nothing blocks the vents
It’s possible that some of your furniture may be blocking the heating vents. So take a look around the house and make sure that no piece of furniture is placed in front of the vents.
It’s crucial that furniture is kept away from vents because aside from preventing the maximum distribution of heat, blocking return vents could also give rise to air pressure problems.
6. Cover your wooden floor with a rug
Heat escapes through wooden floors rather easily. To prevent this, just roll out a rug, and that should help you avoid that kind of heat loss and keep the soles of your feet your at the same time.
7. Bundle up
Instead of cranking up the heat, why not wear warm clothing indoors and turn the thermostat down? Put that cozy winter sweater to good use, and wear thick, warm socks the entire time.
Follow these simple tips, and you will eventually find yourself looking at a lower heating bill soon.
Michelle West the Senior Content Editor of New AC Unit, an online air conditioning wholesaler. She enjoys writing about topics that help people all over the country make their homes more efficient and environmentally-friendly.