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7 Helpful Tips for Managing Your Home’s Heating Costs
The cold and snowy winter months are not going away any time soon. So how can you get the most out of managing your home’s heating costs while ensuring your family’s comfort and safety? Home Comfort Experts has seven tips for Indiana homeowners looking to save money on energy bills during the remaining months of winter.
Schedule a Furnace Tune-Up & Safety Check Each Year
Home Comfort Experts recommends having a trustworthy heating and cooling company come out annually to inspect your home’s furnace. When it is tuned-up, your furnace is operating at its peak performance level. This helps to save you both energy and money on your utility bill. Additionally, when your home’s furnace is tuned-up properly its heat exchanger is checked for cracks. If not fixed, these cracks could potentially release deadly carbon monoxide into your home. Read more about how carbon monoxide can get into your home: Carbon Monoxide Dangers: Why Monitoring is Best.
Install a Humidifier
Did you know that the average Indiana home’s humidity level in the winter is about 15%? Most people are comfortable with a humidity level that is between 30% and 50%. Because humidificati
on helps to make the air in your home feel more comfortable, homeowners with humidifiers tend to keep their home at lower temperatures, saving them money on energy bills.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats allow you to have your thermostat automatically turn on and off at desired times that meet the lifestyle demands of your family. By having the thermostat lower during times your family is not at home, you will be able to save energy dollars and additionally conserve the life of your furnace by not making it work so hard for long periods of t
ime.
Set the Thermostat for a Couple of Degrees Lower Than What You’re Used to
Setting your home’s thermostat lower than what you are accustomed to can help you to save money on energy bills. Just how much? You will save an average of 1% on your monthly utility bill.
Seal Leaks Around the Windows & Doors
When is the last time that you checked the sealing around your home’s windows and doors? This sealing can develop leaks that lets the cold air into your home, causing your furnace to work harder and your energy bills to increase. Also be sure to check your windows to see if they need to be replaced. The older they are, the draftier they tend to be.
Make Sure that Your Home is Properly Insulated
Heat naturally flows from warmer to cooler spaces. Because of this, it is easy for heat to escape to the outdoors and to adjacent unheated areas such as garages and basements. To reduce this from happening, make sure that your home is insulated properly.
Consider a Zoning System for Your Home
When your home is inconsistently heated, it is uncomfortable and causes homeowners to constantly adjust the thermostat. With a zoning system, you are able to set individualized temperature control to different areas of your home. This helps to provide consistent temperature control throughout the home, which helps to make your family more comfortable and your energy bills lower.
For more information about managing your home’s heating costs or to have a zoning system, humidifier or programmable thermostat installed, give Home Comfort Experts a call today or simply fill out our Contact Us form and we will get back to you!