The cold Michigan winter isn’t quite over yet. There are still a few weeks left to go, and with gas prices high, people need some strategies to drive down the cost of home heating. The good news is there are some simple steps people can take to make their heating bill a little more efficient.
Here they are:
Replace the Filters
Replacing the furnace filters often gets talked about when we’re discussing ways to make the indoor winter air a little cleaner, but it’s more than just that. When the filters clog up, that material can force your HVAC unit to work a little harder and increase output. You can prevent this quite easily by making sure the filter stays clean.
Turn Down the Thermostat Just a Few Degrees
We know, it’s not what you want to hear. But you can stay comfortable at around 68 degrees as opposed to 70. Just a few degrees can result in roughly a 5 percent reduction in your gas bill. You may need to switch to wearing long sleeve shirts and throw on a blanket while you watch TV at the end of the night, but it’s an easy way to put a dent in the heating bill.
Take Advantage of Natural Sunlight
Simply opening the blinds can do a lot to warm up a room on a sunny day. When the sun sets and the temperatures plummet further, you’ll want to close those drapes back up so that the room retains the heat. This is good for the bright clear days but won’t work as well on the cloudy and dreary days.
Check the Attic Insulation
At the bare minimum, attics should have about 11 inches of insulation. Anything short of that, and you may be losing heat out the upper levels of your home. You’ll also want to seal up any cracks that may have emerged in the attic floor as well.
Close the Vents You Don’t Use
If there are rooms in your home that you don’t often use, there’s no sense in keeping them warm. You can close the vents in unused or rarely used rooms so that you’re not unnecessarily heating that part of the home. This way the heat would get redirected to the parts of your home that you are using to create a more efficient system.
Keep Up with Routine HVAC Maintenance
If you haven’t kept up with the routine maintenance on your HVAC system, it may be running harder than it needs to be. It’s time to get back on track. With a regular routine, you can keep things running as smooth and efficient as possible, and save money on your utility bills in the long run.
If your furnace hasn’t been operating as efficiently for a long time, it may be time to replace it to drive down heating costs in the long run. If you have questions or would like to talk with us about your furnace or HVAC system, contact us today!
