Summer and winter are two of the most expensive seasons to be a homeowner, thanks to cooling and heating bills. While some homeowners choose to invest in a newer, more energy-efficient heating system, a new furnace is a major expense. There are many affordable ways to reduce heating costs at your house without sacrificing comfort.
Use the Sun to Your Advantage
While there are fewer hours of sunlight in the winter, you can use them to your advantage by allowing natural heat to warm your home during the day. Whenever the sun is shining, open up the blinds and drapes so that the sunlight can enter your home.
The heat will passively warm the room and you’ll reduce heating costs during the day. At night, do the opposite and close the curtains to keep the heat inside.
Have an Inspection to Look for Areas of Energy Loss
If you are serious about saving on heating costs, having an inspection of your home to pinpoint energy waste is an excellent idea. Many homes have small cracks and gaps around windows and doors that let warm air out and allow cold air inside.
These energy audits typically include actionable insights that you can use to save energy, like installing weatherstripping or adding new caulk to further reduce heating costs.
Purchase a Space Heater to Reduce Heating Costs
A growing number of people work from home, which means that they often end up paying to heat the whole house during the day, but are restricting their activity to a single room.
A space heater will help keep a specific part of your home comfortable, like the bedroom at night or home office during the day. Today’s space heaters are designed with safety features and are energy-efficient to help reduce heating costs.
Add Insulation to the Attic
Warm air rises to the top of your home. If your attic is not sufficiently insulated, this means that warm air is also rising and escaping out of your home.
Beyond the savings on heating costs, attic insulation serves as a barrier to protect your home from heat and moisture damage. If you insulate your attic, it will also reflect in your home’s value and help you save on energy costs all year round.
Change Your Furnace Filters to Reduce Heating Costs
If your furnace cannot easily push out air due to a dirty or clogged filter, it will work harder to heat your home. This can lead to spikes in your heating costs and excess wear and tear on the system.
Change your filter at least once a quarter. During periods of heavy usage or if you have pets in your home, change the filter once a month.
Drew Inspection Service provides home inspections to customers in western South Dakota. Contact us to schedule an appointment.