Posted by Bealing Roofing No Comments on Ways to Save Money on Heating Costs Uncategorized

During the winter season, a major complaint and worry is the cost of heating. With many households concerned about budgets, knowing how to save on heating is beneficial. Here are 6 ways to save money on heating costs:

Keep temperatures down

The higher the temperature is set, the harder your heating system is working to keep it hot; which in turn means more energy is consumed and costs go up. Some energy companies like First Energy Corp suggest keeping the temperature at 68º or lower. Some people also turn the heat even farther down when they aren’t at home.

Insulate attic/crawl space

Heat rises and is often lost though the attic. It is important to insulate your attic to diminish the amount of heat lost. More heat kept in the home means less that your heating source has to work. Hiring a professional roofer to complete a roof inspection is a great way to make sure your attic is properly insulated.

Additionally, cold air is brought in sometimes though crawl spaces or basements causing your heat source to work harder warming the cold air. Insulating these spaces decreases the amount of cold air entering your home.

Only heat rooms you use

Some people don’t use their entire home, and heating that extra space wastes your energy and money. If possible, turning heat down (not off so pipes do not freeze and burst) in rooms unused or rarely used helps to save on cost. Make sure to close doors to these rooms or, for rooms without doors, you can partition them off with blankets or plastic.

Check for drafts

Other ways heat is lost and cold air enters the home is through drafts usually around your doors and windows. Check and replace your weather stripping on doors and windows. For the bottom of doors, you can use a towel or a specific door seal to help eliminate drafts. There are also products available to insulate your windows such as ones provided by Duck Brand. These are made to eliminate the escape of heat through windows.

Humidify

Humidity is not wanted in the summer but can be beneficial in the winter. Moisture in the air holds heat better. You can help by turning off exhaust fans when cooking and showering so that water vapor is not pulled out of your home. You can also buy a humidifier and utilize in your home.

Choose an efficient fuel source

For some people, this might be the first step or choice. However, it can be costly up front even though it can save you long term on heating. Educate yourself on the cost in your area of the different fuel sources. It may also work to combine sources such as a wood stove, fireplace, or fireplace insert for hard to heat areas if the cost of wood or wood pellets would compensate for your primary heating source overworking in that particular area.