When it’s cold outside, you can still save money heating your home.
Some of your highest energy costs will come during the winter time when you’re heating your home. Without freezing or having to dress like you’re going outside, here are some ways you can save money while staying warm this winter.
Let the Sun In
What’s one of the hottest things in the Solar System? The sun! So take advantage of its heat in the winter time by letting as much sunlight as possible into your home. This means keeping those shades, curtains and drapes back during the day to let in as much sunlight (and heat) as possible through the windows.
Wear Extra Clothing
Putting on a sweatshirt, sweater or other extra layer of clothing can make you feel comfortable without having to turn up the heat. Yes, it’s nice to be able to walk around your home without socks, long pants or long sleeves in December and January. But it will require you to spend more money on heating costs or move to Florida or Southern California.
Do Plenty of Baking
Doing a lot of work in the kitchen will heat up the house. You can take advantage of this heat the kitchen produces by doing extra baking in the winter season. It’s no accident that one of the most popular times to bake in the United States also happens to be the holiday season. So go ahead, bake some cookies and stay warm at the same time. (NOTE: Never use your oven to heat your home.)
Turn the Thermostat Down
This is a simple tactic, but it’s one of the most effective. Reducing your thermostat a few degrees can save hundreds of dollars on heating cost during the cold season. To compensate for the colder interior temperature, wear an extra layer of clothing to stay warm. You can also have quilts and blankets near the couches and beds to stay warm even though it’s a few degrees cooler inside.
Invest in Geothermal
A geothermal heating and cooling system isn’t cheap. But it’s so efficient, you will make back your money in the long run. Geothermal systems work by taking advantage of the nearly constant temperature of the ground just a few feet below the surface, no matter how hot or cold it is during the year. So in the winter, a geothermal system takes advantage of the warmer earth to help warm the home and in the summer, the relatively cool temperature of the earth helps cool the home. It also doesn’t hurt that such an efficient heating and cooling system is great for the environment.
Find Any Air Leaks
To make sure your home stays warm, look for any air leaks around the windows and doors. If you find them, plug them up with weather stripping, caulk or any other suitable repair method.
You can look for air leaks several ways. On particularly effective way involves holding a candle near the edge of a door or window and looking to see if the candle flickers in a consistent direction. If so, you probably have an air leak that needs fixing.
Get Routine Maintenance for Your HVAC System
Getting regular maintenance of your heater and HVAC system as a whole will provide not just a long life from your expensive home investment, but allow your HVAC system to run as efficiently as possible. One of the key aspects of routine maintenance is cleaning or replacing the air filter. There may be two air filters involved during the heating process of your home.
First, there’s the air filter in your air handler that helps clean the air that moves through the ductwork. Second, there are filters in the air return vents where the HVAC system draws in air from inside the home.
Both these types of filters should stay clean at all times. This usually means cleaning or replacing them every few months. Without a clean air filter, the heater’s air handler will have to work much harder to push air through the ductwork. This means extra energy usage and higher bills for heating your home. To make matters worse, homeowners will commonly set the thermostat to a warmer temperature to compensate for the HVAC system’s reduced ability to heat the home. This causes even more unnecessary and expensive energy usage.
Even if you’re working to save money on heating your home, you may need a title pawn to help you in the meantime. Come on in to Title Tree, and we can help you get the cash you need.