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With the price of electricity on the rise, we all could use a little help reducing our heating bills. Here are some tips to help you get started.
1) Check with your local utility company to see if they offer a free energy use assessment. Some companies provide inspectors to poke around your home from top to bottom, looking for ways it can be made more efficient.
2) Install a programmable thermostat. Have your thermostat drop down a few degrees while you’re away at work.
3) Keep your thermostat at 68 or below. Put on a sweatshirt if you have to.
4) Open blinds during the winter. This allows the heat from the sun to come in and warm up your house. Close blinds or curtains at night.
5) Change filters every month. Dirty filters can increase your bills by 20% each month.
6) Don’t block vents or radiators with furniture or window coverings.
7) Make sure your fireplace damper fits properly and close it when not in use. Install a glass door fireplace screen.
8) Put caulking and weather strips around doors and windows. Put plastic sheeting around older windows or windows that have a draft.
9) Consider replacing some things in your home that are not energy efficient. Homeowners have until the end of 2007 to take advantage of a one time $500 energy conservation tax credit. Check out the IRS website for more information.
10) Close the vents and the door to unused rooms.
11) Remove window air conditioner units during the winter. These let a lot of cold air into your home.
12) Seal your heating and cooling ducts. Click here for more info.
13) Consider taking on bigger projects such as adding insulation in areas where it is missing. Many homes are lacking sufficient insulation in their attics.
14) Get a tune-up for your furnace to make sure it is working properly and not using more energy.
Check out these federal tax credits for energy efficiency.
Can you help add to this list? What ways help you save on your winter utilities?
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[...] How To Reduce Your Winter Heating Bill [...]
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[...] I don’t like it when it’s so cold outside. I normally don’t wear a coat when I’m out and about doing errands, but today a coat was a must. Now that it’s really cold out, we really need to consider ways to keep our winter heating bills down. Check out this article at Thrifty Mommy, How to Reduce Your Winter Heating Bill.¼/p> [...]
I vote for thermal underwear and a sweater! We have only used the heat about 4 times htis year…We are in Texas so it is milder but we have had some cold weather. We only turn it on if the house gets below 50.
The fireplace helps alot- we had alot of trees come down this year.
A friend used to be a missionary to England and he said they only turned the heat on twice a day for about an hour each time there..
I guess it is all what you are used to !