It should come as no surprise that heating your home uses more energy and costs more money than any other system in your home — typically making up about 42% of your utility bill. While everyone needs to stay warm throughout the winter, no one wants their utility bill to be sky-high! Here are some simple, but clever ways to save money on your heating bills this winter so you can be sure to stay warm without going broke.
Change the Spin on Your Ceiling Fans
Many people are unaware that there are two settings on ceiling fans. When the fan is set to move counter-clockwise, it moves air around the room and creates a cooling effect. However, when you flick the switch to where the fan begins to move clockwise, it can help bring heated air down to the ground, especially if your home has cathedral or high-sloped ceilings. The switch can usually be found at the base of the fan, and be sure to run the fan at its slowest speed in order to not cool the air down too much.
Use Your Curtains
Curtains not only maintain your privacy and look nice, but they can also work as great insulators. By opening your curtains during the day, you can take advantage of free solar heat. By closing them right before sunset, you can better insulate your home, especially if you invest in insulating curtains. Insulating curtains are well worth the cost because heat gain and loss through windows is responsible for 25% to 30% of residential heating and cooling use. In the end, investing in quality window treatments can help save you money on your energy costs.
Lower the Thermostat
It sounds counterintuitive to lower your thermostat when you’re trying to stay warm, but energy experts agree that even by turning down your thermostat by just one degree Celsius, you could cut your energy expenditure by 10%. In terms of comfort, there isn’t that much of a felt difference between 72 degrees and 68 degrees, but in terms of dollars, there’s a world of difference.
Use Your Rugs
Rugs aren’t just for decoration, but can also be utilitarian. They can help your home cut down on noise reverberating through your home (if you have children or pets, this can definitely come in handy), protect your floors, and, importantly, help you stay warm in the winter. Rugs do a good job of keeping your feet warm, especially if you’re like the millions of Americans who have hardwood or tile flooring. Rugs may be one of the most versatile and useful decorative elements of a home, and they can help keep your utility costs affordable!
Weather-Proof Your Home’s Droughts
Every home is bound to have some easily fixable areas where outside air is allowed inside. In the summer, cool air escapes through these draughts, but in the winter, cold air comes in. In fact, according to the Department of Energy, you can lose between 25% and 30% of your warm air just through a drafty window. By weatherproofing your home’s draughts with self-adhesive rubber seals around doors and windows, you can help keep warm air inside and that cold winter air outside where it belongs.
Insulate Your Attic
Did you know that around 25% of heat is lost through a home’s roof? By installing just 24 centimeters of insulation inside your attic or roof loft, you can reduce the amount of heat lost greatly. Another option, but a little more pricey, is to install cavity wall insulation, which can save as much as 160 dollars over a year by insulating your home more. In older homes, this can be especially important as many did not install wall insulation like we do today.
Move Your Furniture
Many people arrange their homes in such a way that they are always comfortable, including setting the couch directly in front of a home’s radiator, fireplace, or other heating appliance for those cold winter nights. However, having furniture so close to a heating source can not only be dangerous, but it also serves to absorb the heat that could be going towards warming your entire house. By moving your furniture away from heating sources, hot air can circulate freely and help you reduce your utility costs.
Saving money on your heating bills over the winter doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, there are many low-cost to no-cost clever ways to better insulate your home, so that you can take full advantage of your home’s primary heating source. Try a few of these out today and keep warm!
