How to Reduce Your Heating Bill in the Winter

Every winter it’s the same thing: your heating bill pushes your household budget to the limit. This year, you’re determined to keep heating costs down, but how? Vredevoogd Heating & Cooling offers the following tips to help you save money on your heating bill this winter. These things reduce heating costs.

Warm Clothing

Have you ever wondered why you love to go barefoot in the summer? It’s because your feet release body heat. It makes sense to go barefoot or wear sandals in the summer to keep cool, so trap body feet in the winter to keep warm. When indoors, put on a pair of warm, comfy socks or slippers and sweats or other warm clothing. This traps your body heat and helps keep you warmer.

Trap Heat Elsewhere, Too

Your house warms up when you cook or shower. The heat from the oven and stove increase the nearby temperature as does the steam from a hot shower. Don’t be bashful. Shower with the bathroom door opened to allow that hot steam to circulate through your home, and place a small fan in the kitchen near the oven to draw the heat out into other rooms.

Set the Thermostat Lower

Both of the things listed above will help increase indoor temperatures temporarily. You can turn down your thermostat to a lower temperature and still be comfortable for a while. If everyone is gone during the day, buy a programmable thermostat to change temperature settings automatically. Run the furnace at a cooler temperature when everyone is gone and at night after everyone goes to bed.

Prevent Indoor Heat from Escaping

Make sure your doors and windows are weather-sealed. Don’t open and close them unless absolutely necessary. Don’t run bathroom ventilation fans at bath time and keep your drapes closed once the sun goes down. To make sure you don’t have any door and window leaks, hold a lit candle in front of your doors and windows to see check how the smoke drifts. If it drifts sideways, you have a leak.

Turn Down Your Water Heater

You notice a difference if you turn down your thermostat by a few degrees but you won’t notice a difference if you turn down your water heater. Whether gas or electric, if you have the heater set higher than 120 degrees, you run the risk of scalds. Even 120 degrees is too hot, but for those who love long, hot showers, 120 degrees still gives you plenty of hot water and saves money on utility bills.

Finally, call Vredevoogd Heating & Cooling for a furnace inspection. A service visit will keep your heater running as efficiently as possible. Please give us a call at 844-HVAC-365.