The winter months are always going to mean higher heating bills. You need to keep your home warm and comfy and that means running the heater. That being said, it does not mean that there is nothing that you can do to reduce these bills and keep a little extra money in your pocket. By taking some simple measures, you can make your home more heat efficient and save money on your wintertime heat.
Plastic film on windows and patio doors
Much of your home’s heat loss will occur around the windows. Covering the windows will provide them with a layer of insulation that helps to keep the warm air in the home and it will also reduce the cold drafts that can flow through rooms. Applying the plastic film to windows is easy to do and it can be easily removed once the cold weather is gone. Pick a roll of the plastic film up from your local hardware store and spend a few hours next weekend doing something that will help to prevent the heat loss that occurs around your windows. You pay for that heat, why let it get away so easily?
Keep the registers clear
The registers are used to distribute the warm air throughout the house. If one of them is obstructed, then it is not going to effectively heat the area that it is designated to. Locate all of the registers in the home and make sure that they are not being blocked by anything. It is very common that people place pieces of furniture in front of the registers and it some rooms, items may be stored in front of them. While it may be convenient to have these items stacked in that location or you might like the way your favorite chair looks in that spot, if they are blocking a register, they are making that room cooler than it needs to be and you are probably turning up the thermostat to compensate.
Use a space heater
You wouldn’t want to use portable heaters to heat all of the rooms in your home; that would be terribly inefficient. However, in some situations, they can be used to complement the home heating system and save some money. With a portable heater, you can turn the home heating system down by a few degrees and use the smaller heater to heat the room that everyone is in. This way, the furnace is not consuming as much energy, but everybody can still stay warm.
Use the ceiling fan
If you are not using your ceiling fan in the winter, then you are not getting the full value of this item. Most people assume that a ceiling fan is only good for keeping things cool in the summer, but it can also help to distribute warm air throughout the home. Switch the fan to run in reverse and it will move the warm air that gets trapped near the ceiling and help it to warm up the cooler air that is closer to the ground.
Add a blanket to your bed
At night, you are going to spend most of your time in the bed and you can save money by adding insulation to your body. You don’t need to turn the temperature down until your house is frigid, but you can cut a few degrees from the thermostat and still maintain comfort if you just pile an extra blanket on top when you are sleeping.
As a final tip, you should also get your home heating system and your fireplace checked out by a professional. They can ensure that all of the parts are working properly and keep things running to the optimal efficiency. You may also want to get them to check out the ductwork to make sure that all of the seals are good. It may cost some money to get the service technician to come out, but a simple inspection and tune-up will save you money over the course of the winter.