Winter has officially arrived, and with the new year comes a fresh crop of freezing cold weather and tons of snow. In that environment, your heating system is far more than a luxury. It’s an absolute necessity. Running it not only keeps your home comfortable but keeps your family healthy and safe. Daily use isn’t uncommon for months on end. That, by necessity, means your monthly heating costs are going to go up, and to a certain extent, there’s nothing you can do about that.
But just because you’re paying more for your heat in the winter doesn’t mean you should be paying more than necessary. You can take some simple steps in your home to cut down on those high costs and help you get through the winter comfortably without being quite so hard on your pocketbook.
1. Has Your Heater Been Maintained?
Many heating technicians offer maintenance plans for your HVAC system. Regular maintenance resembles a tune-up on a car: the technician takes a close look at all of the components in the heating system and checks for any trouble that might be brewing. In the case of small issues like clogged burners or loose bolts, they can be corrected as part of the maintenance service. If more extensive repairs are required, the technician can set one up on the spot. In any case, dealing with those little issues can reduce the amount of energy a heater needs to use to warm a home, lowing both monthly bills and the strain on the rest of the system. If you haven’t scheduled regular maintenance for your heater in the last twelve months or more, you might want to consider scheduling it now.
2. Program Your Thermostat
Most thermostats are programmable, but comparatively few households make full use of it. For instance, many homes simply run the heat all day–even when everyone is out of the house–assuming (falsely) that it costs less than trying to heat up a cold house when they get home. Set your thermostat to 65°F when you normally leave the house, and then program it to turn on again twenty minutes before you get home. You won’t detect any difference, and the savings on your monthly bill can be surprisingly large. You can lower the thermostat even more before you go to bed, then bundle up with blankets to stay warm.
3. Weather Stripping Makes a Difference
Cracks around your doors and windows can pull heated air out of your home with surprising speed (and will do the same thing to cool air in the summer). It’s a tricky issue, but you can solve it very quickly with the application of weather stripping to the spot. It’s available at any hardware store or home improvement center, and you can apply it to the problem yourself in a matter of a few minutes.
For heating repairs, maintenance plans, and similar heating operations for your Westlake, OHÂ home, call the friendly pros at Westland Heating & Air to set up an appointment!
