Winter is quickly approaching, and that means colder temperatures outdoors as well as chillier temperatures indoors. Many homeowners would like to decrease their costs during the winter months, but it can be tricky when you want to stay warm! The good news is that there are plenty of ways to save money while staying comfortable this winter.
Smart Ways to Heat Your Home More Efficiently
These simple ideas will help you save on home heating costs during the winter, which will in turn save you money during these colder months.
Purchase a Programmable Thermostat
This simple switch can save you big on your winter heating bills. Programmable thermostats are available in a variety of styles and price-points, but generally fall within the range of $50 to $200. These thermostats are great because you can set them to a lower temperature during the hours when you are away from your home on a regular basis, such as at work, or while you’re sleeping soundly in your bed. Just a small decrease in your thermostats settings (for example, 72 degrees to 70 degrees) can save you money during the colder months. According to ConsumerEnergyCenter.org, for every degree you lower your thermostat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you’ll save up to 5 percent on heating costs.
Weather Proof Your Home
You don’t have to go all out on weatherproofing your home to make a big impact on your home’s heating efficiency. By caulking any open areas of your windows and doors, you can prevent cold drafts from coming in and warm air from escaping. Be sure to inspect the weather stripping in your home and replace any that seems worn out or ineffective. Also, consider door draft stoppers for exterior doors, which can go a long way in keeping sneaky drafts from bringing cold air into your home. And, don’t forget about your hot water heater! Just by wrapping an insulating blanket around your hot water heater, you can prevent heat loss through the sides of the water heater by 25 to 40%!
Add Layers of Warmth to Your Body
This seems too simple to be effective, but by layering in warm clothes while indoors, you can really help reduce your heating bills. Instead of trying to keep a constant warm temperature in your home, embrace a slight chill in the air and add a sweater, thick socks, and/or a fuzzy blanket to help combat the cold. This way, you’ll be able to maintain your thermostat at a lower temperature while still staying warm and toasty indoors.
Embrace the Sun
If you are lucky enough to have south facing windows in your home, you can use them to your advantage during the winter months. The sun that shines through these windows can add quite a bit of warmth to your home. During the daytime, lower the temperature on your thermostat and open curtains to allow the sun to shine directly into these rooms. The sun will provide enough heat to raise your indoor temperature a couple degrees, which means that your heating system will work less hard to warm your home. Are you planning on purchasing a new energy efficient heating system to save money on heating bills in the new year? Contact the experts at Efficient Systems today for more information on how our heating and cooling systems can help you save more on energy costs throughout the year.
