Every home owner in cold climates dreads the winter utility bill. While you may have enjoyed a fairly low bill during the mild months of fall, the winter bill is almost always much higher. But there are ways for you to keep costs down if you are diligent. You will still need to heat your home, but you can make sure that that heat is used as efficiently as possible – warming the inside of your house, and not letting it escape through the exterior.
1. Get an energy audit
You can hire a professional to come in and do an energy audit of your home. The auditor will look at all the different areas where homes typically lose heat and will be able to tell you exactly what needs the most attention. Hiring an independent auditor is recommended if you don't want to be sold something you don't need.
2. Improve the insulation in your home
This is not an option that all homeowners want to pay for, and newer home owners may not need to upgrade their insulation. But if you want to really improve the heat retention of your older house, upgrading or adding insulation is a great way to do it. You may have little to no insulation in important areas like your attic, which means you are losing a considerable amount of heat.
3. Let the sun in
The sunlight, especially from south-facing windows, can add a good deal of warmth to the interior of your house if you let it in. You just have to make sure you close up the curtains again after the sun goes down, to keep the heat inside.
4. Install a programmable thermostat
You can install a fairly inexpensive programmable thermostat that will allow you to set the times and temperatures in your home based on your usage. If you are away at work, or sleeping at night, you can lower the temperature by ten degrees and save a fair bit of money. Another option is to install a smart thermostat, one that you can control online from your phone or computer. These are even more adaptable than the basic programmable models, and can learn your patterns and adjust accordingly.
5. Seal up your home
Heat can escape from all sorts of places. Drafty doors and windows, areas where pipes enter the home, chimneys – all of these are potential locations for heat to escape. Each may require a different solution to seal, but all of them are worth looking at and sealing up if you can. The better your home is sealed, the less you will need to heat your home.
6. Change your HVAC filter and consider a tune-up
You need to change your HVAC filter regularly if you want the system to perform at its best – which means most efficiently. The dirtier the filter gets, the harder the system has to work to push air through it. The harder it works, the more it costs to use. You can also have an HVAC specialist come in and give your system a tune-up for winter, making sure that everything is working correctly. A periodic tune-up can also extend the life of your system.
7. Seal and cover your windows
A lot of heat escapes through windows, especially if they are not properly sealed or if they are older windows. You can help prevent heat escaping by installing heavier curtains in front of your windows and keeping them pulled closed when sun isn't shining in. You can also install plastic film to create extra insulation over your windows.
8. Turn down your water heater
If you turn down your water heater a few degrees, you can save some money on your utility bill. You can also protect yourself from scalding hot water if your heater happens to be turned up very high.
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