Warm Up With Home Heating Tips

It’s inevitable: as temperatures drop, you find your home heating bills rise.
This time of year, people are always asking me what they can do to manage their utility costs as winter approaches. Based on our more than fifty-five years experience with home heating comfort systems, FLAME Heating, Cooling and Electric has developed these suggestions to help keep your utility costs in line, and to help your home’s heating system work efficiently all winter:

1. Significant energy savings can be realized by lowering the temperature on your thermostat. For each degree you lower the temperature, you can save from 3% to 5% on your heating bill.
2. Install — or use — a programmable thermostat to regulate your home’s temperature when you’re away or asleep. Again, for each degree you reduce the temperature, you’ll notice a reduction in your utility bill. Any heating or electrical contractor, like FLAME, can install this type of thermostat for you and teach you how to use it to your best advantage.
3. Use kitchen and bath ventilating fans judiciously. Did you know that these fans can remove an entire houseful of warmed air in just one hour? Make sure to turn these fans off as soon as they’ve done their job.

• Clean or replace air filters once a month during high-usage periods. Write it on your calendar so that you have an easy reminder system. Warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators should also be cleaned regularly to keep them operating correctly and safely.
• Turn your blinds so that they are “facing up”. During the cold months, the blind’s slats direction affects your heat and energy loss. The blinds should also be fully lowered so that they touch the windowsill. Slanting the blinds “facing up” will trap the cool air between the window and the blinds and will keep your room warmer.
• Call for a tune-up! You wouldn’t dream of driving your car over 3,000 miles without a tune-up…yet your furnace will “travel” over 42,000 miles this winter and will require system adjustments to increase the efficiency of your home comfort system and help reduce heating costs. At FLAME Furnace, we employ a comprehensive 21-point tune-up program. Just like your car, regular furnace maintenance can extend the life of your system by keeping it running at peak performance. And consider purchasing a maintenance contract for regular tune-ups, often at a discounted rate.
• Monitor fireplace operation. Operating your fireplace, (natural or gas), can dry out the air in your home. Dry air does not feel as warm as humid air. Plus, you are using air that you’ve paid to heat for combustion and sending up the chimney.

Still have questions? Want more information? Feel free to call FLAME Heating, Cooling and Electrical toll free at 1-888-234-2340, or visit our website @ www.ffold.awcsite.info. Most importantly, follow the Furnace Doctor’s advice…these tips can keep you warm — and help you keep your cool when your energy bills arrive!