How to Cut Heating Costs During Cold Weather

When the mercury plummets, our need to cut heating costs rises accordingly.Here, professional HVAC contractors share some insider tips to help keep your heating costs down this winter.These easy-on-the-pocketbook ideas will keep your home warm and toasty without bringing energy bills that make you break out in a cold sweat.Simple Tips to Save Money on HeatingYou may already know that covering your windows and sliding patio doors can help reduce heat loss in your home, but do you realize how much?.The National Resources Defense Council reports that approximately one-third of your home's heat loss is going out the window. Literally.Ideally, replacing your home's windows with energy-efficient designs will save the most money. However, adding a layer of insulating plastic film from the home store will reduce this loss substantially, as will replacing worn caulking and glazing.Replacing worn weatherstripping and caulking around doors and windows can also cut down on drafts. Insulating around the electrical boxes on exterior walls and around the holes where pipes, electrical cables and gas lines enter your house can make a big difference in your heating bills too.Another inexpensive way to boost your home's energy efficiency and save on heating bills is to turn down the furnace and use an electric space heater in the room where your family gathers.The electricity used by a portable heater will be more than made up for by the savings on your heating bills. Always be diligent about following the manufacturer's use instructions, however, to avoid unnecessary fire danger.Seal Your DuctsAccording to the U.S. Department of Energy, 25 to 40 percent of the air that moves through your heating ducts is lost due to air leakage.Sealing your ducts is a great way make your home more energy efficient and cut heating costs -- and it is a project handy homeowners may be able to tackle themselves.All you need is mastic sealant, which you spread over the duct seams and joints with a paintbrush or putty knife. This is a messy project, however. Consequently, many homeowners prefer to have a professional HVAC technician complete the work.Hiring a professional contractor is also the best way to ensure that all of your accessible leaks are detected and properly sealed.Have Your Heating System ServicedHVAC contractors recommend having your heating system inspected and maintained at least once per year.This simple and inexpensive service will not only prolong the life of your furnace, but it will also help keep the system running smoothly. This prevents unexpected outages and costly emergency service calls, and ensures that your family won't be left in the cold when bad weather hits.During the furnace tune-up, the technician will check the controls and thermostat settings, and test the electrical connections and voltage. The technician will inspect and service other components as well, including the filter and condensation drain.Having your system serviced will make sure it is running at peak operating performance, which will also help cut back on energy use. In fact, you can recover the cost of the tune-up, in many cases, with just a couple of months' heating bills.Saving energy and money is important for everyone these days. By following these simple and cost-effective tips, you'll be surprised by how much you can cut heating costs in your home this year.

 

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