Even people who like winter more than any other season don’t like seeing utility bills start rising as the temperature begins dropping. It’s true you can’t avoid paying higher energy costs during the winter because of all the work your home’s central heating system must put in (and the water heater does more work as well). However, you can cut down on those costs with some basic steps.
Below we’ll share five ways you can save heating energy this coming winter—and of course they work every winter!
ONE: Schedule pre-season heating maintenance
Always, always, always arrange for a professional maintenance inspection and tune-up for your heater. No matter if you have a furnace or a heat pump, the central heating system needs to have a licensed technician examine it and take care of basic cleaning and adjusting jobs. This is no different than a tune-up for your car—you need to have it done or you’ll end up wasting money. A tuned-up heating system will run from 5% to 25% more energy efficiently, and that means lower heating bills.
TWO: Lower the thermostat, don’t raise it
We know how tempting it is to turn the thermostat up as high as possible when it gets cold. But this is an inefficient way of heating a house. You want to have the thermostat set as low as is comfortable. This way the house loses heat to the outside slower, and the heater will need to run less often. We advise (as does the department of energy) to keep the thermostat set around 68°F during the day when people are home. You can further lower it at night when the household is asleep. Each degree lower can mean 2% off your heating costs.
THREE: Warmer clothes indoors
If you read the above advice and thought 68°F sounds a bit too cold for the indoors, then add an extra layer of clothing. When it’s sweater weather, put on a sweater! This is the easiest way to allow you to give the heater a break.
FOUR: Invest in a whole-house humidifier
Cold weather often comes with dry conditions. The less humidity is in the air, the colder people feel. This is because the lack of moisture allows heat to escape from the human body faster. Call us for an installation of a whole-house humidifier to properly balance humidity levels. Raising relative indoor humidity from below 30% to around 45% will make your house feel 8°F warmer on average—and that means less stress for the heater.
FIVE: Keep the air filter clean with regular changes
A clogged air filter for the furnace or heat pump is one of the most basic reasons for higher heating bills. And it’s so simple to fix! Change the filter every one to three months (check monthly to see how often it needs to be changed) and you’ll avoid spikes in heating costs.
For the best heating in Burton, MI, let our professionals see to your needs. We have more than 15 years of history helping homes in the area enjoy quality comfort and energy efficiency. Get started with a call to set up a heating maintenance tune-up and inspection.