Lowering Heating Bills Isn’t as Difficult With These Tips

Let’s face it. The frigid winter chill is once again creeping up on us. While the energy costs for heating your Cleveland area home this winter may not be something you’re looking forward to, they don’t have to break the bank, either. By following a few simple tips, you can winterize your home, reduce your energy usage, and lower your heating costs. Try these steps:

• Maintenance of your heating system is a must in order to keep those heating costs at bay. Schedule an annual tune-up of your furnace (or other heating system) and inspect the air filter for any forced-air system. Filters should be inspected once a month during the winter, and changed when they look dirty. This will improve system efficiency and performance.
• Install a programmable thermostat. By programming your thermostat to lower temperatures while you’re away or asleep, you can save up to 30 percent on heating costs.
• Install weatherstripping and caulking around doors and windows. Apply plastic covering to windows for added insulation. If your home is drafty, these steps could save you up to 20 percent.
• Lower heating bills by reversing your ceiling fan blades to clockwise in the winter. Heat rises, and reversing your ceiling fans redistributes warm air that collects near the ceiling down into the living spaces.
• Make sure heat vents are not blocked by furniture or draperies that would interfere with airflow.
• Adequate insulation can lower heating bills as well. Check your attic first since this is the easiest place to upgrade insulation and will do the most good.
• Use a humidifier during the winter when indoor air gets excessively dry. Moist air feels warmer than dry air. By using a humidifier you will find that you are comfortable at lower temperatures, and can therefore set your thermostat lower.
• Set your thermostat to a lower temperature. The U.S. EPA states that by lowering the temperature in your home by just one degree consistently, you can save up to 3 percent on your heating bills.
• Let the sun do some of the work. Open blinds and window coverings during the day to let the heat in, then close them at night when the sun goes down.

The great thing about most of these tips to lower heating bills is that they’ll save money on energy in the cooling season as well. Please contact us at Stack Heating & Cooling for more professional advice and information to help lower the heating bills in your Cleveland area home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about lowering heating bills and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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