Long, cold winters cost more to heat your home than a more mild-mannered winter season. That assumes, of course, you don’t resort to the ways of pioneers and wrap yourselves in buffalo hides, deer-skin leggings, and other prairie-living attire so you can keep your thermostat down to about 55 degrees or so – just warm enough to prevent your pipes from freezing.
If that all seems a little extreme to you, but you still want to see your home heating costs come down, just follow these simple tips:
Find and Seal Air Leaks
You don’t need a specialist to tell you that air is leaking through or around windows, doors, outlets, light switches, and other areas of your home. As you stand near each such one, you can quickly determine by hand or feel if warm air is escaping with cold air taking its place. If you have the aptitude and time, re-caulk and weather strip as needed or hire a reputable handyman to do the job for you. Cold air also can enter your home through cracks in the floor where cables have been placed for TVs or phones, plus around light fixtures and ceiling fans.
Thermostat Control
Keeping your house at 75 degrees can cost 15% more than keeping it at 68 degrees, which is still a comfortable setting for most people. Is the 15% savings worth it? That’s a judgement only you can make. At the same time, don’t set your thermostat below 55 degrees as that creates the risk of frozen pipes. A programmable thermostat, especially one with remote Wi-Fi control, helps you save even more money by maintaining lower temperatures when no one’s home but having your house nice and toasty for your scheduled arrival time.
Window treatments
In days of old, people used to hang drapes in the winter and change them to lighter weight curtains in the spring. That trend is returning, and people are hanging wool, heavy cotton, or even velvet to help block wintry drafts. Heavier window treatments also help prevent heat from escaping outdoors. Another thing to consider is affordable heating oil, from Cheap Home Heating Oil, as it can really help to drastically reduce your heating costs.
Here’s another great way to save on your home heating costs: contact Pann Home Services today for to request our heating system cleaning and inspection service. We service, repair, and install most kinds of heating system, including gas furnaces, boilers, steam heating systems, and others. At Pann Home Services, we have multiple ways to help reduce your home heating costs. Contact us any time to learn more.
