Now that the winter weather is here, most of us are looking for ways to reduce our home heating costs without sacrificing comfort. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Have your local HVAC company do an HVAC system efficiency analysis. They will inspect your home and HVAC system, measure your energy usage, and make recommendations for reducing your home heating costs.
Install a programmable thermostat. Your HVAC professional can install one for you or you buy one at your local home improvement store for do-it –yourself installation. Programmable thermostats can reduce your heating costs by automatically lowering the temperature when you and your family are away from home.
Even if you do not have a programmable thermostat, you can do pretty much the same thing by turning your thermostat down at night and while you and your family are away at work or school during the day.
Use your ceiling fans to recirculate warm air down to the lower areas of the room. Most ceiling fans have a reverse switch to accomplish this. Run the fan in reverse on low for good results without any drafts.
Make sure your doors and windows have good weather stripping. Your local home improvement store has a wide selection of easily applied weather stripping products for sealing drafty doors and windows.
Change your furnace filter. A dirty furnace filter makes your furnace work harder and reduces heating efficiency.
Make sure your attic has plenty of insulation. Heat rises, so a lot of your heated air escapes through the ceilings. An extra layer of insulation in your attic can make a big difference.
