Simple Ways You Can Save On Your Winter Heating Bills
For many, winter
is a pleasing season of cozy nights and holidays. However, this is also the
time when electricity consumption is at its peak. Frequent uses of heating
equipment bring huge heating bills that eat away most of the monthly savings.
As per the Energy Department, a family pays more than $2000 on an average per
year for utilities.
Sounds
surprising?
Well, there is
good news. Using simple tips to save energy in winters can help you reduce your
bills by 25%.
Saving on
heating bills is no rocket science. Check out these:
Opt for Programmable Thermostats
A programmable
thermostat can be a significant energy saver. It gives you the benefit of setting the temperature in advance
for different times of the day as per the day activities. There are also some
advanced models designed to store up to four temperature settings every day.
For every setting, there is a manual override switch. Few other models allow 5
days and 2 days settings, for working days and weekends. Choosing the right
thermostat can save energy bills up to 10-20%.
Shut the Doors of Rooms or Chimney
Any open space can increase the effort of a heater to warm
up space which in turn will reflect in bills. If you are not using any room, it is advisable to shut the doors, so that cold air is locked in its place. The experts at http://zipfair.com/
suggest covering the fireplace, as it is one of the primary ways of heat loss. It would be better if you limit the use of the
fireplace. In case, you want to use the fireplace,
install a set of glass fireplace doors. It will seal the heat and let you enjoy
the glow of the fire. When a fireplace is
no longer in use, a chimney balloon or a woolen chimney
insulator can be inexpensive and simple ways to stop any cold air circulation.
Choose Right Curtain for Winters
In winters, it is wise to hang thick curtains with a
thermal lining to stop the loss of heat through windows. Go for lining the
existing curtains with cheap fleece, if you don’t want to expand your expenses.
Keep all the windows covered every night. This simple yet effective tip can
make a visible difference in your energy bills, especially at the end of the year. In the day time do not
forget to open the curtains so that the rooms get heated naturally with
sunshine.
Replace Non-working Furnace Filter
Changing filters of forced air-furnace every month in winter
is necessary for its smooth functioning and saving on energy bills. If kept in
good condition, it can save you up to 5% on your energy bills. The filter has
another benefit; it also reduces the entry of dust inside and keeps the air
clean.
Always keep a few extra filters, especially in winters to
change them every month. To avoid frequent reinstallation, you can opt for reusable washable filters
that last for almost 5 years.