Ways to Reduce Your Heating Bill
Heating can cost you a great deal if left unchecked
Although you can wear warm clothes, it is crucial to heat your house to combat the cold temperatures in winter. However, there are certain steps you can follow to make sure that your heating bill doesn’t go overboard.
Tips to Help You Save on Your Heating Bill
Try not to break the bank while keeping warm during winter
The following tips are easy to follow, and they will enable you to use little power, therefore reducing your heating bill:
Set Your Thermostat to a Lower Degree
It is possible to lower your heating bill by reducing the degrees of your thermostat setting for at least 24 hours. You can also invest in a programmable thermostat which cools your home when the temperatures are a little bit high. It is also easy to program, and you can lower the temperatures when you’re asleep or on vacation.
Keep Warm
An obvious tip to reduce your heating bills is to turn down the heat and wear warm clothes. Sweaters, jackets, and scarfs can keep you warm under minimum heating. Wear layers to keep warm; for instance, you can invest in base layers, which consist of silk, wool, polyester, or cotton.
Cover Your Chimney Flue
It is crucial to cover your chimney flue to conserve energy. Leaving it like that is like opening your windows during winter, which means you have to increase heating in the house. Did you know the majority of your home’s heat leaves through leaks in the doors and windows? If you notice this in your home, you can rush to the store before winter and buy useful products to seal these leaks. It is easy to apply weather stripping on your windows to prevent draft. Invest in a door sweep to deal with cold gusts.
If you have a fireplace, it is easy to prevent draft because there is a damper on the upper part. This is created to shut when not in use, but this leaves a path for warm air to escape. This is not a very effective manner of energy conservation. You can add a glass door on the front part of the fireplace to prevent warm air from leaving the house.
Wrap the Windows
Double pane windows prevent draft
Even weather-stripped sliding doors and windows need wrapping if they have single-pane glass. You can either invest in double panes or use plastic wrapping if you don’t want to spend much. Plastic wrapping works as effectively as double panes because it sticks to the frame and has a 2-sided tape, which can be stretched effortlessly. This acts as a barrier from the harsh cold conditions on the outside. If you can’t afford these, you can still insulate your windows using bubble wraps. Splash water on the windows and hold the bubble wrap with the bubble side against the clean window then seal the edges.
Make Good Use of Your Windows
You can save on your heating bills by utilizing your fans and setting them on low. This way, they can push air towards the ceiling. This forces warm air that is lighter and tends to get trapped on top to fall all over your house, therefore warming it.
Check the Attic
If you have an unfinished or unheated attic, you will use a lot of heat to warm the place. However, you can use fiberglass batting if the floor is well insulated. This cover helps to conserve the heat in your home and prevents heat loss.
You can also invest in air sealing, which improves your insulation techniques. When the attic sealing has small openings, they bring gushes of winter wind into your house. Assess the attic to see whether there are any air leaks and start sealing before the temperatures drop.
Clean the Radiators and Vents
Check your vents and confirm that there are no blockages from furniture, rugs, and other large items in front of the radiator. This way, air can circulate easily throughout the house, therefore, warming every place.
Ensure that the radiator and vents are clean because dust is not only unhealthy, but it can act as an insulator. Clean vents allow air to move freely, which means that heat is distributed equally.
Insulate Heating Ducts
Non-insulated heating ducts can cost you 60% of your warm air before it gets to you. You lose the heated air as it travels through the duct and attic. Invest in duct insulation to conserve your warm air and to save money. Also, remember that heating ducts seem to have tiny leaks where air escapes. It is crucial to seal them using metal tape or aerosol sealant.
Conclusion
It is important to stay warm during winter, but how can you do this without blowing your heating bill through the roof? The heating bill can be high because we heat or warm throughout the cold season. You can easily save your money by following the tips above and investing in sealants and insulation, which are cost-effective.