With energy costs higher than they have ever been in recent
history, it pays to find ways to reduce your home heating costs.
I put together some tips that are easy, cost effective and will
all add up to reduce your home heating bills by a significant
amount! You don't need to be Bob Villa either. Some take just a
minute or two. Even small changes will add up to big savings
over the course of this cold winter!
Here are the 10 tips that I have personally used to save on my
home heating costs:
1. Head down to the basement and reduce the setting on your hot
water thermostat by about 10 degrees. I wouldn't go below
120-115 degrees. The adjustment dial is typically a red knob
towards the bottom of the water tank.
2. While you are downstairs, make sure you have clean filters
for your central air-heating unit. A dirty and clogged filter
will force your unit to work much harder and stay on longer as
it struggles to fresh air through the clogged filter to heat the
rest of your house.
3. Check your air ducts for gaps, leaks or disconnects. If you
have any disconnects or leaks in your ductwork, your heating
bills could be 25% higher than they need to be if these gaps
were sealed. If you can't do this on your own, hire a
professional. This expert can also clean your ducts for added
efficiency.
4. Adjust your thermostat a few degrees lower. Believe me, this
really adds up. It may not seem like much of a difference to
you, but you will notice the difference when you get a lower
bill each month!
5. While we are on the subject of thermostats, consider
replacing yours if it is not programmable. The reason is, you
can set the thermostat so the temperature setting in your house
is lower at night than during the day, when you are awake. Also,
if you are away at work during the day, you can set it for a
lower temperature and have it programmed to start heating the
house a little bit before you come home. These aren't too
expensive and are easy to install and configure yourself.
6. Insulate your attic. Heat rises, right? If your attic isn't
properly insulated, all of the heat in your house (and your
money) goes right through the roof. Literally! This does require
some effort on your part, but following through on this tip will
save you a ton of money over the years. Measure the square
footage of your attic and buy rolls of insulation, greater than
R-13 but no higher than R-30. Wear a mask and gloves when
working with insulation because it irritates the skin.
7. Find those leaks and cracks! If you were to add up all of the
small cracks and holes in your house, they would probably add up
to a small window, wide open, letting cold air in and hot air
out. Take the time to find gaps in windows, doors, pipes,
electrical and phone lines, your dryer duct and much more. Put
weather-strips around your doors and windows. You can buy
insulation foam that comes in a can with a straw at the top that
allows you to fill in tight spaces. It expands to fill even the
smallest cracks. Of all of the tasks, this was the most fun
finding and filling these gaps all around the house.
8. Close the vents in rooms that you do not use. I have one room
in my house that is not currently in use. I shut the hot air
ducts and made sure the windows and doors were properly sealed
to limit energy leakage. Why waste your money heating up extra
square footage of your house that you don't even use?
9. Open drapes and shades for all of your windows during the day
to let the sun heat your home. In the evening, pull them back
down for added insulation. It is amazing how much direct
sunlight streaming into your home helps to heat things up.
10. Your fireplace can help and hurt your heating costs. If you
are not using your fireplace, make sure the damper is closed.
When it is closed, inspect the damper and feel if cold air is
still leaking in. If you are using your fireplace, make sure the
heating in the rest of your house is reduced or turned off.
Taking the time to implement these tips will drastically reduce
your home heating bills. You can get most of them done in just
one day, but the payoff will last for as long as you live there!
I followed through on each one of these tips and the following
winter, my bills were about 25% lower, saving about $100 a
month! So roll up your sleeves follow these tips and start
saving money on your heating costs!
About the author:
Greg Quincy is the publisher of the website
http://www.financialtipsforyou.com, offering his money saving
tips and other personal finance advice that he has gained from
working in the financial industry and the economic challenges of
raising a family. Copyright © 2005
http://www.FinancialTipsForYou.com
