Throughout the United States, the winter of 2014 has been especially difficult. With the phenomenon of what has been called Arctic blasts reaching even into the Deep South, there is no doubt that heating costs for this season will be significantly higher than the same time last year. Whether you use a central unit or heat your home with space heaters, there are ways to stay warm and keep those heating costs to a minimum.
Conduct an Energy Audit
One way to fight the higher cost of heating is to have a professional conduct an energy audit of the home. Local utilities offer this service, and what they turn up could save a lot of money. For example, the audit may reveal that by doing something as simple as caulking around windows or adding blinds to the windows, you could keep the inside temperature comfortable without consuming as much energy. Even little things like weather stripping around doors or adding a little more insulation to the attic will make a noticeable difference.
Adjust the Thermostat
If you have a HVAC unit, consider putting on a sweater and adjusting the thermostat downward by a degree or two. Even if you reset the thermostat by no more than a single degree, that will help to reduce the monthly heating costs by 3%.
Keep in mind that you want to strike a happy medium with the adjustments. The home must still be warm enough to prevent any pipes from freezing, and no one in the house should be shivering and shaking. A professional HVAC technician can also provide some suggestions for adjusting the settings so they are a little lower when no one is home, and how to program the thermostat to increase the temperature to a certain setting an half hour or so before anyone is due to return.
Installation of New Furnaces
New furnaces are a great way to save money on heating costs. Assuming your system is more than a decade old, there’s a good chance that it is not as efficient as in years past. A newer unit will provide more heat while consuming less energy. While this means investing a tidy sum in your home, it will also mean paying less to the utility companies. As a bonus, a newer system will also increase the current market value of your home.
Even if your home is well constructed, there are ways to help reduce the cost of heating the home. Talk with a professional HVAC technician, have an energy audit done, and consider the benefits of replacing your current heating equipment. When it is all said and done, the savings will make all the efforts worth it.
