The 10 Best Heat Saving Tips
Tip #8: Keep the warmth in with drapes, blankets and rugs.
Winter is here and we all want to be warm, but no one wants to raise their utility bills. Well, you can have your cake and eat it too by following a few simple heat saving tips that will help you stay warm without running your costs up the chimney.
Tip #1
Set your thermostat to 68 degrees while you are home and turn it down a few degrees when your family is in bed for the night or out for the day.
Tip #2
Some heat saving tips are also safety tips. Check your hot water temperature setting. It should not be higher than 120 degrees for both energy efficiency and safety precautions. (You don’t want to scald yourself or your family.)
Tip #3
Get a home-energy audit from your local utility company. This will help you identify areas in your home that could be more energy efficient and the auditor can give you helpful ideas on how to treat specific problem areas. You may even qualify for a federal rebate if you implement the auditor’s suggestions and let the utility company know.
Tip #4
Check your furnace air filter every month to make sure it’s working properly. If it is dirty or blocked, check the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning. If you can’t get it clean, pick up a new air filter for less than $20 to allow your heating system to function the most efficiently.
Tip #5
Make sure that the areas directly around your heating system are clear of furniture and flammable objects. This will allow the warm air to properly circulate through your rooms and hallways and keep your home fire-safe.
Tip #6
One of the great heat saving tips that will shave dollars off your heating bill and also benefit the environment is to simply turn off the shower while you are sudsing up and only use as much water as it takes to rinse well. You’ll save water, heat and money in doing so.
Tip #7
If you have leaks around windows, doors, baseboards or other areas, the hot air from your heater will simply be swept away by cold air drafts and your energy bills will keep going up. Instead, take a walk around the inside and outside walls of your home and look for any areas where air may leak in or out. Seal problem areas with caulk or weather stripping.
Tip #8
Coat your home in warmth: Add heavy curtains, carpets and blankets to hold in the heat generated by your heaters. You can also coat yourself in cozy clothing so that your layers can help you keep in the heat.
Tip #9
A great heat saving investment is to replace your regular window screens with solar screens that specifically reduce the transfer of heat through windows. This will keep your warm air in and the cold air out.
Tip #10
If you live in a house that is more than 20 years old with an attic, chances are that this little-used room is actually sucking up a lot of the heat from the rooms below it. You can prevent this by adding attic insulation. Check with an experienced Networx roofer to find out how much insulation you need and where to put it.
Go ahead and try some or all of these heat saving tips. Tell your friends and family about these simple ways to save money and the environment and watch as your heating bills start to go down. Happy heating!
Author Sirena Rubinoff is a writer based in California. She specializes in budget decorating solutions. Ask Sirena how to decorate for less.
