It is going to be such a COLD winter this year! We barely had any fall unfortunately. I always like to take advantage of opening the windows and getting fresh air in the house. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much of a chance this year! As the colder weather of winter sets in, you may be thinking of a couple of different things. On one hand, if you’re anything like me, you’re thinking ahead to the holidays and planning special events for your family. On a less exciting note, though, you probably find yourself starting to worry about the hefty heating bills that come with the colder weather. Whether your home uses electricity, propane, or natural gas to heat itself, you can bet that you’re going to see higher utility bills in the coming months.
If the thought of trying to fit higher utility bills into your monthly budget is causing you to freak out a little, try not to panic. Although nothing will completely insulate you from having higher utility bills in the winter, you can follow these three easy tips to try to minimize your increase and save on your heating bill.
Check for drafts. The biggest threat to your home’s utility heating efficiency has to be the cold air from outdoors. Thoroughly inspect your home, focusing around windows and doors especially, for any gaps or air leaks. Use caulk to plug gaps and install weather stripping around doors to keep your heated air inside the house and the cold air outside the house.
Set your thermostat and leave it alone. Once you’ve chosen the appropriate temperature for your home (we try to stick to sixty-eight degrees), don’t be tempted to bump the thermostat up a degree or two on chilly days. You should also avoid turning the thermostat up when you’re in a hurry to heat the house. Turning up the thermostat won’t make your house heat any faster. (If you have a programmable thermostat, however, you can program the thermostat to drop the temperature in the house when it’s empty or everyone is in bed.)
Use your home’s window dressings to make the most of Mother Nature’s heating system. Open the curtains on southern-facing windows during daylight hours. As soon as the sun sets, though, close the curtains back up to keep the cold night air from chilling the room.