Taking Control Of Your Winter Heating Costs

Each winter, home owners and renters alike dread the cold weather. As a result of snow and plunging temperatures, you spend more time inside. However, it’s also become more expensive than ever before to keep your home’s inside temperature comfortable. The good news is that there are several easy ways to make your home more heating efficient and keep your costs down. Here’s a list of tips and techniques that everyone living in a cold part of the country should know.

Use your blinds and shades

If you don’t have blinds and shades on your windows, now is a great time to invest in some. These are available in a wide variety of styles, from inexpensive big box store options to custom made designer window dressings. Blinds and shades allow you to let the light in on sunny days, which helps raise the temperature naturally in your home. At night, draw the blinds or shades to provide an additional layer of insulation against the cold.

Consider plastic coverings and weather stripping

When your home isn’t as insulated as it could be, that can encourage heat to escape around your windows. In addition to the natural insulation that’s provided by shades, consider taking more proactive steps. Reinforcing a window’s seals with weather stripping can help prevent the kind of hot air leakage that normally occurs as a result of poor window sealing, structural problems, or thin glass.

Have your system inspected

Working with an HVAC professional can get your system into top shape. Hiring an HVAC technician in your area makes it easy to have your system inspected, cleaned, and any inefficiencies repaired. It’s important to remember that the performance of your system is directly tied to how well the hardware functions. A well-tuned heating system burns less fuel and is more efficient overall, keeping costs lower and improving the quality of your home’s ventilation.

Don’t overlook draft stoppers and door weatherstripping

Exterior doors are another area where drafts can really cause a significant amount of heat loss. There are several things you can do to bolster the integrity of your door. Consider raising the threshold to minimize the gap between the door and the floor. If a gap still exists, used an old fashioned draft stopper which can be easily made or purchased for just a few dollars. Replacing the weather stripping around a door will also improve the door’s ability to seal in the heat.

Judiciously use space heaters

If you find yourself in one area of your home more often than others, consider lowering your thermostat and using a space heater to keep your primary areas comfortable. It’s an easy way to prioritize where you’re heating in your home and keep your costs down overall.

Install an automatic thermostat

Automatic thermostats are one of the best innovations in the heating space. They allow you to set specific temperatures on a timer that raises and lowers your heat. As a result, you’re not paying to heat your house when away you’re at work or school. But you can expect your home to be comfortable when you arrive back after a long day, when the thermostat turns on schedule.

Heating your home doesn’t have to break the budget. Follow these tips, work with an experienced HVAC technician, and planning ahead will keep your heating bills low and your home warm!

About the author: Robert Dunn is an experienced HVAC technician. He regularly advises clients on how to affordably heat their properties.