Four ways to lower your heating bills this winter

Every winter is different. Last winter was the warmest winter in two decades. This year… not so much! Staying warm in the winter is important, but cranking the heat up isn’t always the best way to battle an Ohio winter. If you’re trying to reduce your winter heating bills, here are a few suggestions to keep you warmer while reducing your utility bills.

Four ways to reduce your heating bills

Seal drafts. The average American home is drafty. Combined, these sneaky little holes admit as much outside air as an open window does! Locate drafts – usually around rough openings for windows, doors and ceiling light fixtures – and seal them with spray foam insulation or new weather stripping whenever possible. You may need to remove door and window trim for this project, but it’s well worth the effort. Some drafts are sneakier than others. We have infrared cameras (a $124 value), free with the purchase of a heating/cooling system.

Humidify. Moist air holds heat much better than dry air does. If you can raise the humidity in your home to the ideal – 50% – you can lower your thermostat and still feel pretty comfortable. As an added benefit, air that’s already moist won’t strip the moisture from your skin as easily. You’ll feel warmer and be more comfortable while still keeping the thermostat dialed back. Room-sized humidifiers can help, but if you’re serious about comfort, consider attaching a whole-house humidifier to your furnace.

Get efficient. Opportunities abound to lower your energy bills. Switching to energy-efficient appliances can give you a big bang for your buck. High efficiency furnaces, water heaters, laundry appliances and refrigeration equipment can reduce your energy consumption immediately without sacrificing comfort.

Schedule regular heating and cooling maintenance. Without regular seasonal maintenance, your high efficiency heating and cooling systems will convert themselves to standard efficiency systems within a single season. If you skip maintenance for two years in a row, your operating costs could compare to low-efficiency systems. High efficiency systems need regular maintenance to continue performing at their best. Schedule your heating system maintenance in the late summer, and your cooling system maintenance in early spring to make sure you receive the full benefits of your high-efficiency systems.

Call DoverPhila Heating and Cooling

If you don’t have a high efficiency heating system, but you would like an estimate on one, please give us a call at DoverPhila Heating and Cooling. We’ll be happy to provide you with a free estimate on a high-efficiency replacement heating and cooling system for your home. We can tame your heating bills in no time!