How You Can Make Your Heating Cost Less This Year
Every year it’s the same story: cold nights, frigid mornings and a lot of stress on your furnace to keep up. If you’re struggling every year to balance heating your home with consistently high energy bills, you might need to change some household habits. So what can you do to lower your heating costs? Read on to find out.
Are you hunting for affordable and high-quality air conditioning contractors near you? Cardinal Plumbing, Heating and Cooling is unparalleled in the Reston, VA area, and can help with almost any problems you might have with your HVAC system. Get in touch today at 703-705-9773.
Tips for Cutting Costs on Heating This Winter
Implementing some easy habits into your daily household routine is a great way to reduce the dependence on your heating system. The less you use heating in your home, the less you’ll spend on energy each month. It’s really that simple.
While you might think that cutting costs means struggling with cold hands and shivers all winter long, that’s not quite the truth. The last thing you want is to make your home less comfortable. Below you’ll find some simple ways to cut costs this winter.
Have Your HVAC System Checked Every Fall
You can do quite a lot yourself to cut down on your heating bills. What you can’t do, however, is properly maintain your system. That’s why you should always schedule a fall maintenance inspection from a qualified HVAC professional. Regular maintenance is also a great way to minimize repair needs.
Not only do the pros have the knowledge to give your heater a thorough tune-up, but if they spot any issues they can fix them on the spot. Your technician will also go through a cleaning process to clear any debris, dust or dirt that has accumulated over the summer. This will ensure your system is running smoothly and efficiently.
Break Out the Extra Layers
Now, it’s nice walking around in your underwear. It’s your home, after all. In the winter months, it’s the kind of luxury that will cost you. If you’re dealing with excessive heating bills each month, a simple fix is putting on an extra layer or two.
Bundling up is a great strategy. It not only keeps you comfy, but it can help you lower that thermostat. It’s not just sweaters and jackets, too. Having a good supply of warm blankets available means you’re never too far away from some extra warmth.
Close Off Unused Rooms
If you’ve got a large home, you can bet it’s going to cost an arm and a leg to heat all those rooms. If these are rooms that barely get any use, why not close them off? This is a great tip to save on heating costs, and it’s a no-brainer. No one is using those rooms anyway.
Shutting off rooms is more than just shutting the door. Here are some steps to get those extra spaces closed off for the winter:
Keep in mind that you can be a little too efficient with this method. If rooms are getting too cold, it could mean internal pipes that run through the space are susceptible to freezing — so be careful.
Start Cooking and Baking More
Everybody loves the smell of fresh-baked cookies. But, baking has another benefit during the winter. All that heat you produce when you start the oven, well, it doesn’t disappear. A lot of it transfers into your home. If you’ve even had to bake all day during the summer, you know how hot it can get. So why not utilize this heat?
Similarly, cooking can also heat your home. While it might not produce the kind of ambient heat as the oven, your stove can certainly put off some BTUs.
Turn the Thermostat Down, Not Up
While this might go against everything you know about keeping your home comfortable during the winter, it’s the right move if you want to cut energy consumption. You don’t even have to do this all the time. In fact, cutting the heat down seven to ten degrees for around eight hours a day can save you around 10% on annual heating costs.
A good method to keep things cost-efficient but still comfortable is to set a schedule. If you have a smart thermostat, this can be super simple. Even if you don’t, you can still manage with a manual thermostat. Basically, keep the temperature around 68 degrees while you’re awake, and turn it down when it’s time to sleep.
If you’re struggling to keep warm and your thermostat is giving you false readings, it may be a problem with the furnace. This is a common problem with residential furnaces and can send you searching for air conditioning contractors near you.
Reverse Your Ceiling Fans
Wait, ceiling fans can go in reverse? If you don’t know this fairly unknown feature of almost all ceiling fans, it’s time to learn. This technique basically makes them usable for the winter months. All you need to do is locate the toggle switch on the base of the fan’s housing. Changing the rotation of the blades to rotate clockwise, as seen from below, will help keep hot air lower.
How does the fan accomplish this? Well, hot air rises. When you switch the fan to push air down, it recirculates the warm air that is stagnant at the top of the room instead of pulling air up.
Finding Heating and Air Conditioning Repair Near You
If you’re sick of searching for quality air conditioning contractors near you, Cardinal Plumbing, Heating and Cooling is here to help. When preparing for winter, our qualified team can help with maintenance and repairs. Whether you need emergency services or a full system replacement, our licensed HVAC professionals are on standby. Reach out online to schedule an appointment today.
