Two years ago I nearly had a heart attack when I opened our heating bill. The winter was brutal and so was the payment amount printed on the bills for the months of January, February, and March. But, back then I had just given birth and was more concerned about keeping my precious baby warm than trying to make the most of our energy dollar. I’ve wised up since then.
The following are simple guidelines we now follow to ensure that I don’t experience cardiac arrest when the gas bills come in. Hopefully they can help you enjoy lower heating bills this season as well.
1. Set your thermostat as low as you can possibly withstand. For each degree you raise your thermostat setting, your fuel bill climbs 3%. So dress accordingly. I now place blankets on the backs of chairs and sofas and always have sweaters around for us to slip into before I consider cranking up the heat.
2. Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month. A simple task like this could help improve your systems’ energy efficiency by 10%.
3. Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season. You may have to call a professional if you have never attempted this task.
4. Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed. Also, don’t make the mistake I did. In college I blocked my baseboard heaters with furniture and drapes, then wondered why my place was so cold.
5. During winter, keep drapes and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
6. Kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans should be used conservatively during the winter. Studies show that in just one hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warmed air. Turn fans off as soon as they have done the job.
7. Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
8. When we lived in our first townhouse my husband would close an unoccupied room that was isolated from the rest of the house and turned down the thermostat (or turned off the heat) for that room. Some programmable thermostats now come with temperature zoning options.
9. Consider installing double-pane windows with protective coating that reflects heat back into your home during winter. A more affordable option is to simply cover your windows with clear plastic film. The film creates an insulating air pocket between the plastic and the window, reducing heat loss through windows by about 40%.
10. Conserve heat by caulking and weather stripping around exterior seams, cracks and openings. Don’t forget to caulk and weather-strip indoors, especially around windows and door frames—doing so will help cut down on drafts.
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Getting Your Home Ready For Winter-Part 1: The Furnace
Tips For Winterizing Your Backyard