Are your utility bills frightful, even though your furnace is so delightful? Keeping warm in the middle of winter can be a challenge, to say nothing about the energy costs. Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to cut your heating bills without having to compromise. Here are a few tips you can try.
Use a Thermostat Efficiently
If you bought a programmable thermostat to help you save money, that’s a start. Now you have to use it efficiently. Programmable thermostats are meant to gradually adjust your temperature up and down without you having to change the settings. If you find that you’re still adjusting it all the time, you’re losing efficiency. Create settings you can handle that allow several hours between changes, and keep a sweater or a throw blanket nearby if you need it. Aim for 65 degrees, and move up or down as needed. If you need more information about the right settings, ask our heating professionals for help getting the most out of your furnace this year.
Seal Windows and Doors
You wouldn’t leave a window or door open in the dead of winter, but these parts of your home might be doing the job for you. As a home settles, it’s common to have gaps around windows and doors. You’ll know you have them if you stand close by and feel a draft, even when it’s closed. It forces your furnace to work longer and harder, which costs more. Sealing air gaps and adding weather-stripping is the best way to block heat loss from these spots. The best part is this project can take just a few hours.
Check Insulation
Your windows and doors are notoriously inefficient at preventing heat transfer, but the rest of the house should be much better. Insulation stands between you and those brutal January temperatures. If your home is a few decades old, there’s a good chance that you don’t have as much insulation as you could. This is a home improvement task that you might want to call a professional to do, but it’s relatively quick and not too pricey. You can usually add new insulation right on top of the old, which decreases the workload and inconvenience.
Timely Use of Heat-Producing Appliances
You’ve got a variety of appliances that produce heat that isn’t the furnace, like the oven or clothes dryer. If you time when you run them, you’ll benefit from the ambient heat they generate. Throw a big family meal in the oven an hour before your thermostat goes up, or toss a load of clothes into the dryer first thing in the morning. These will help make use of the heat toward making your home feel warmer, which cuts down on the furnace needing to provide all of it.
The only thing wilder than winter is the energy bills, but there are some simple steps you can take to cut your heating bills this year. To schedule annual service or learn more about furnace efficiency, contact Master Plumbing, Heating & Cooling today.
