You’ve had your furnace inspected and serviced and made sure to keep your thermostat lowered when you’re away from home, but your heating bill is still taking a big chunk out of your monthly budget.
While it can be very frustrating to see such small returns, saving money on your heating bill doesn’t have to be a herculean effort.
Add the following small things to what you’re doing now and see how much you can save this winter.
1.Dress warm
For every degree that you lower your thermostat (in the 60 to 70 degree range) you can lower your heating costs by as much as 5%.
When you’re away from home or sleeping try setting the thermostat as low as 55 degrees to really slash your heating bill – by as much as 20 percent! (Note, don’t do this if you have a heat pump as it requires warmer temps to run)
To offset the chill from keeping your thermostat lower, keep small blankets and sweaters on hand, and always dress warmly in the winter, even when inside your home.
2. Use warm decor
Not only should you dress warmly yourself, your house will keep you warmer if you dress it as well!
The following home items are both functional and serve to beautify your home:
- – Insulating curtains
- – Thick, insulating curtains trap cold air behind them, and keep it from seeping into your living area.
- – Area rugs
- – Area rugs spread out over wood and/or tile floors will also keep cool air trapped…and your feet warmer!
- – Flannel sheets
- – Soft and warm, flannel sheets will make slipping into bed on cold winter nights much more enjoyable.
3. Capture the sun
Windows that face the south and the west are perfect for catching the sun’s rays.
Every morning, open the curtains on these windows, letting the sunshine in, then close them at night to trap the warmth.
If you have any trees that are blocking your home from sunlight, consider trimming before winter strikes. Even though trees, fences and bushes can help offset heat loss from cold winds, you can still maintain this benefit if you only trim those branches blocking sunlight from entering your home.
4. Reduce the use of your bath and kitchen fans
Your kitchen and bathroom fans remove heated air from your living space, so minimize their use to easily save on your heating bill.
Granted, it’s a small amount, but a steady trickle of small things (such as an exhaust fan left on when it’s no longer needed or drafts seeping under doors or around windows) can add up to a lot.
5. Set your ceiling fans in reverse to bring heat down
Hot air always rises, so if your ceiling fan has a reverse function, put it on a low setting to bring that air back down into the room.
6. Keep heating vents clear
A simple, but effective way to cut your heating bill is to make good use of the heat you have. If furniture, rugs or clutter is blocking your heating vents you’re not only missing out on warm air, but you’re potentially making your heating unit work harder.
Move anything that’s blocking your heating vents to ensure that you’re getting what you’re paying for
7. Close off unused rooms
Close off any rooms you’re not using on a regular basis, such as guest rooms or storage areas.
Seal off the vents, close curtains tightly and put a draft blocker in front of the door to keep cool air from slipping under it into the rest of the house.
