Winter is almost here, which means you will soon rely on your furnace to keep warm in your home. Unfortunately, this often means a noticeable spike in your monthly energy bill, especially if you’re facing a particularly brutal winter. Larger bills during the winter may seem inevitable, but there are things that you can do to keep your home warm and your expenses manageable when it gets cold outside.
Proper maintenance of your heating system is the first line of defense. That means regular filter changes and a professional tune-up in the fall, before winter strikes. This prevents your system from overworking due to poor maintenance, which will spike your bills. For more tips, read on!
1. Insulate Your Home
Insulation accounts for a lot when it comes to keeping your home warm during the winter. Home insulation can last anywhere from 15 to 100 years depending on the type you have and how well it was installed. Fiberglass usually lasts for 15 to 30 years and will degrade quickly with exposure to moisture and pests, while spray foam can last for up to 100 years when it is properly installed. If you live in an older home that feels extremely cold during the winter and hot during the summer, you probably need new insulation. Your new insulation should last for several decades, so you shouldn’t have to worry about needing anything else for a while.
Insulating your home goes beyond installing new batting or foam in your attic and basement. To make sure that your home is truly protected from the elements, check your windows and doors for gaps. If you feel a draft when you walk by a window, seal it with weather stripping. Your home can lose a lot of heat from a window that isn’t sealed or insulated properly, so inspect your windows frequently if you’re concerned about rising heating bills.
2. Install a Programmable Thermostat, and Use It Responsibly
A programmable thermostat will adjust the temperature in your home based on a schedule that you set. All you need to do is set the program that you want, and the thermostat will handle the rest. There is practically no need to adjust your thermostat unless the weather changes drastically. When you use a programmable thermostat properly and responsibly, you can save as much as 10% every year on your energy bills.
Of course, a programmable thermostat will only save you money if you use it properly. As tempting as it may be to crank up the heat to over 80 degrees Fahrenheit when it gets cold outside, that will leave you with a high electricity bill. Instead, try setting your thermostat to 68 degrees when you’re home and awake during the day. If that’s too cold for you, you can raise it to 72 degrees, but it’s not wise to go any warmer than that if you’re trying to save money. You can set your thermostat to lower the temperature when you’re asleep or away from home to save even more on your bills.
3. Take Advantage of Kitchen Heat
While you shouldn’t use your stove or oven to heat your home, you can still take advantage of the heat it produces when you cook meals. Plan your cooking schedule around your home’s heating needs by making larger meals that require longer cooking times when you know it’s going to be cold outside. The heat from the oven will radiate throughout your home, especially if you live in a small space. There’s no need to treat your oven like a furnace, but you can think of its heat as an added benefit to home cooking.
4. Take Advantage of Sunny Days
A sunny day isn’t necessarily a warm day during the winter, but you can still take advantage of sunlight while you have it by opening your blinds and curtains. The sun will shine through your windows and add a little extra heat to your home.
5. Cover Hard Floors with Rugs
A carpeted floor or area rug doesn’t affect your home’s temperature that much, but it can make your home feel a little warmer. Your feet are sensitive to temperature changes, and walking across a cold floor will make your home feel colder than it actually is. On the other hand, bare feet on carpet could help you feel a little warmer than you actually are, which could prevent you from wanting to turn up the heat in your house.
Call Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC for Heating Assistance
No matter what you do to make your home a little cozier during the winter, you will still need to rely on your heating system this winter. That’s where Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC can help you. We are a heating and cooling company serving Billings, MT and the surrounding areas, and we will be happy to assist you if you have any problems with your furnace. We know how cold winters can get in Montana, and we will do everything we can to ensure that your system is working properly with a full range of heating services to keep your home comfortable.
To learn more about our heating services or find out how you can stay warm without raising your energy bills too much, contact Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC today.
Today!
