When you’ve got a great heating system in your home, it can be tempting to crank it up and bask in the warmth. The trouble is, heating bills add up quickly. These low-tech heating hacks will help you cut heating costs so you can stay warm and cozy throughout the winter without breaking the bank.
There are two ways to cut heating costs: regulate temperatures and create alternative sources of heat.
Carefully regulating the temperature inside your home will help you make the most out of the energy you do use so that it’s never wasted.
Installing a programmable thermostat enables you to increase efficiency by automatically raising and lowering the temperature depending on time of day. There’s no point in spending money to heat your home while you’re not around to appreciate it. Program your thermostat to drop 10-15 degrees cooler during the day while you’re out of the house and at night while you’re asleep.
Eliminate drafts. Drafts and leaks are responsible for up to 12% of heat loss—and energy waste. Worn out weather stripping and caulking around windows and doors can create leaks that allow heat to escape from your home and drafts to get in. Even your outlets can be a source of drafts; they may be small, but they add up. Update sealants around doors and windows and insulate your outlets with caulking to conserve heat.
Cover your windows with plastic film to further prevent heat loss. Glass alone is a poor insulator, but installing transparent film to window panes can reduce heat loss as much as 40%. You can purchase the film in any home improvement store and install it yourself.
While regulating temperatures improves efficiency and avoids wasting heat, supplementing your furnace with alternative low-cost heating solutions will allow you to turn the temperature down a few additional notches. For every degree you lower your thermostat, you can save up to 3% on your annual heating costs.
Buy a couple portable heaters to place in the rooms where your family tends to gather. You can keep the rooms you’re in extra toasty and turn down the heat in the rest of the house.
Add blankets to your bed and program your thermostat to be as low during the night as it is during the day while you’re at work. Down blankets provide the best insulation of any bedding. What could be cozier than your own personal cocoon?
Take advantage of sunlight – it’s free! Opening drapes during the day will allow sunlight to warm the room, while closing them at night will help to insulate the room further and protect you from chilly drafts. The thicker your curtains, the better.
For an appraisal of your home heating efficiency, get in touch with Bonfe today.
