Heating without Burning Up your Money

Thanks to the recent hurricanes, gas prices have shot way up. Like me, this has probably caused a strain on your wallet. Unfortunately, the weather is starting to get colder, so your heating bills will also rise. Even though you may have already read some of these, here are some tips to help keep your heating bill down (and they do not include turning off your heat and just wearing a hat and mittens all the time.)

Turn down your thermostat-Not a significant amount. A degree or two can even make a price difference. Also, consider investing in a Programmable Thermostat. This thermostat can automatically adjust the temperature up or down. For example, if everyone is gone during the day at school or walking, you can program the thermostat to lower the temperature a bit since no one will be home to need the heat.
Restrict your use of bathroom and kitchen air ventilators– Though these are handy, they tend to push out warm air, which means your furnace has to work more to replace that heat.
Utilize other heating devices in your home-For example, when showering-keep the door open so that warm steam can travel to other areas of your home.
Turn your blinds “up”-Having them face up; can trap the cool air from the window, so it does not escape into your warm home.
Change your filters– You should change your filters once a month. If they become too clogged, your furnace has to work harder to push the warm air through to the rest of your home.
Schedule a furnace inspection– If something is wrong with your furnace, it will either not be working correctly or efficiently, which can lose you money in the long run.
Pull down shades or window blinds at night-When it is dark out, and you often do not care about seeing outside that much. Covering your windows helps keep the cool air from the window out of your home.
Be careful with your fireplace-Though a fire may feel warm and cozy, remember that your open chimney is letting out your heat! Also, a fire can dry out your air which does not feel as warm as humid air.