Winter in New England can be brutal in terms of weather. Much of the time is spent with temperatures dropping lower than 32 degrees which means your heating systems are getting lots of use.
Keeping yourself warm in the dead of winter ends up being pretty expensive when it comes time to pay the bills.
Here are 5 ways you can save money and heat your home more efficiently this winter. Depending on how invested you are to becoming more efficient there are some cheaper ideas and some more expensive ones.
5 Ways to Efficiently Heat Your Home This Winter
Install a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat allows you to preset the temperature for the home to a desirable temperature for any time of day. You have the freedom, depending on your schedule, to set the temperature cooler or warmer.
It’s a good idea to set the temperature lower when you are sleeping and away from the home and then have it warmer when you are active in the home. Investing in a programmable thermostat will prove to be more energy-efficient and cost-efficient at the end of the heating season, saving between 10-12% on your heating bill.
Seal Gaps around Doorways and Windows
Feeling cold air when walking in your home can be disappointing in the winter. It usually means that there are openings or gaps in the area and heat is escaping the house.
Sealing gaps around doors and windows is a fairly simple fix and will help keep your home warmer. There are simple handmade insulators you can place around doors and windows that work great at keeping cold air out. If you don’t want to try your hand at making homemade, there are several options for insulators that you can find at any hardware store.
Change the Furnace Filter
If you have a heating system that utilizes filters it is important that you remember to change them out. They can hold dust, mold, and allergens that will spread throughout the heating systems.
Check the manufacturer’s recommendations for how often you should change your filter. It is a good idea to check the filters before the start of heating season and during it, to make sure they are still in good condition.
Changing out your furnace filters can save energy, up to 5%, compared to leaving them unchanged. A clean filter is just one important maintenance item for several heating systems to work properly.
Lower Your Thermostat
Having a warm house to come home to is a simple pleasure in the winter time. While it might be nice to crank the thermostat high when it gets cold out it can also become an expensive habit.
Just lowering the temperature by 1° can reduce your heating bill by 3%. Most of the time a few degrees lower won’t be noticeable to you, so try keeping your thermostat at 68° or lower.
Keep up With Your Furnace/Boiler Maintenance
Making sure your furnace and boiler is ready for heating season is important for many reasons besides efficiently heating your home. It should be a regular maintenance item if you own a home with a furnace or boiler.
Bringing out a specialist to look at your furnace or boiler is a great preventative maintenance step. You don’t want to be without heat in the middle of the winter or have something break when no one can get out to fix it. Having someone come out to take a look will give you peace of mind throughout the winter months that nothing will happen.
Most of the tips above are simple add ons to your home to keep it warm during the winter while also being efficient. We compiled only 5 of the most common and inexpensive tips but there are several others out there.
These are great ways to save a little bit of money while heating your home. Don’t be afraid to try more than these five to become even more efficient!
Stay tuned in to our blog for other home maintenance tips and all of the home care needs you need to know!