When the cold weather strikes, you want to stay warm. Indoor comfort is something we take for granted, but it shouldn’t cost a fortune just to ward off the chill. Here are five home heating tips to keep your Columbus, GA, or Auburn, AL, home cozy this winter. The more you save on heating bills, the more you’ll have to spend on family fun.
Check Your Weatherstripping
Proper weatherstripping can prevent the loss of up to 12 percent of heated air. The areas around doors and windows are a common source of drafts and heat loss. Adding or replacing weatherstripping and/or caulking around doors and windows is an easy way get rid of drafts and reduce the work load of your heat pump or furnace.
Use Space Heaters and Turn Down the Thermostat
There’s no reason to heat an entire house when you’re only using a few rooms. Turn the thermostat down and warm the rooms you use with a space heater. According to the utility company Pepco, for every degree below 70 that you reduce your thermostat, you’ll save 3 percent on home heating costs.
Seal Air Ducts
Do you have a central heating and cooling system with duct work? The ducts should be inspected every few years for leaks. Heated and cooled air that escapes via duct leaks can drive up your heating costs and reduce indoor comfort. According to ENERGY STAR, sealing duct work can improve HVAC performance by 20 percent or more.
Add a Programmable Thermostat
Keeping the heat turned down when no one is home or when everyone is sleeping can save a bundle on energy costs. Yes, you could turn your thermostat up and down manually every day, but have you ever tried this, and then forgotten to do it? With a programmable thermostat, you can set indoor temperatures to adjust automatically to the desired settings at different times of the day. You can even program the device to maintain different indoor temperatures on different days of the week. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you’ll save ten percent on energy costs by turning the thermostat back 10-15 degrees for eight hours every day.
Upgrade Your Indoor Comfort System
If your furnace or heat pump is an older models (15+ years for heat pumps, 20+ years for furnaces) and isn’t keeping you as warm as you would like, consider upgrading to a more efficient system. Not only will a new system keep your indoor space more comfy, it will also save you money on heating bills. The more efficient the system, the lower your utility bills will be. If you opt for a heat pump, consider a zoned system that lets you heat and cool only the rooms you use.
To learn more about high-efficiency heating products and how they can save you money on Columbus, GA, and Auburn, AL, home heating, call the indoor comfort team at Watley Heating & Air Conditioning for a free, no-obligation heating replacement consultation.
