Winter weather can be miserable—and so can winter utility bills. Want to slash your energy use and save yourself some money this winter? We’ve got some easy ways to cut your heating and hot water bills, all without sacrificing your family’s comfort.
4 Ways to Save on Heating Costs
A recent report from the Energy Information Association estimates that Americans will spend anywhere from $602 to $1,189 to heat their homes between November and March. Following these four tips can help you make a dent in those costs:
1. Lower the Thermostat: One of the easiest ways to save on heating costs is to program your thermostat to lower the heat when you’re asleep or away. According to gov, you can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling costs just by using a programmable thermostat to turn back the temperature 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day. If you don’t already have one, you may want to consider installing a smart thermostat that can learn your daily habits and adjust the temperature automatically, optimizing energy use and saving you money without compromising comfort.
2. Maximize Your Heating System: These small tweaks to your heating habits can lead to big savings:
• Have a room you rarely use? Cover the vents with a magnetic vent cover so you’re not wasting money keeping empty rooms toasty warm.
• In rooms that you do use, set ceiling fans so they spin clockwise and push warm air down into your rooms. Make sure furniture isn’t blocking vents and add our Heat & Air Deflectors to vent covers to force warm air down and into rooms. Open curtains during the day to let sunlight pour into your rooms and naturally heat them; close the curtains at night to keep heat in.
3. Maintain Your Heating System: Regular maintenance keeps your heating system operating more efficiently. Hire a professional to inspect and clean your furnace or boiler and replace air filters regularly. If you have steam heat, bleed radiators to release trapped air so they can distribute heat more evenly.
4. Check for Air Leaks: You pay a lot to heat your home, so make sure it isn’t all escaping through gaps in your home. Seal gaps around windows and doors with caulk and weatherstripping—this video shows you how. And be sure to close the fireplace damper when you don’t have a fire blazing.
5 Ways to Reduce Water Heating Costs
Heating water eats up an estimated 18% of your home’s energy use, making it the second biggest energy expense according to energy.gov. Save some of your hard-earned cash with these five tips:
1. Reduce Hot Water Use: Just cutting back on the amount of hot water you use each day can lead to noticeable savings without making a noticeable difference in your day-to-day life. Shave a few minutes off your daily shower, install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators that reduce water usage without compromising pressure, and start washing clothes in cold water—it will save energy and help keep your clothes from fading and shrinking, too.
2. Optimize Your Water Heater: Are you spending more on your water heater than you need to? Lower the thermostat to 120°F to reduce energy use while preventing scalding, wrap the tank in a water heater insulation blanket to help your unit retain heat, and flush the tank once a year to get rid of sediment buildup that makes your unit operate less efficiently.
3. Embrace Energy-Efficient Appliances: When the time comes to replace your hot water tank, choosing a tankless or ENERGY STAR-certified models can help you save money.
4. Prevent Heat Loss: Covering hot water pipes in inexpensive pipe insulation is an inexpensive and easy fix that reduces heat loss so water stays warmer—plus it reduces the likelihood of pipes freezing and bursting during a cold snap.
Small Tweaks Mean Big Savings
You don’t have to sacrifice comfort to slash your heating and hot water costs. From simple changes in your routine to investing in energy-efficient upgrades, these tips can help you save money while keeping your home warm and welcoming. Try them and feel the difference!
