How to Save Money While Heating Your Home This Winter

10/27/2022

dad with his two kids playing in the living room

As winter approaches, air conditioners will slowly be used less and our furnaces will become our go-to for household comfort. As unpredictable as the winters are, our heating bills often feel the same way.

Luckily, there are steps you can take going into winter that will help save you money on heating, aside from bundling up and roughing it out. It’s best to take action now while the temperature is still moderate, rather than waiting for the first snowfall to prepare for what’s to come. Below are some tips to help you save money while heating your home.

1. Check for Heat Loss

Depending on the age and upkeep of your house, heat loss may be an explanation for an increased heating bill. Older homes are more susceptible to this, simply because of wear and tear from the weather and seasons. As a homeowner, this is something that you can check for initially, before calling a professional for help.

It’s quite common for warm air to escape from windows, walls, fireplaces, doorways, and roofs. Weatherstripping windows can help if you believe air is escaping out of your home this way, though it cannot make up for structural damage and serves only to keep a tight seal. Closing doors and windows are costless ways to ensure heat isn’t escaping.

If you’re concerned about heat escaping in other ways, contacting a professional is recommended to get to the bottom of the issue and start saving you money.

2. Perform Routine Furnace Maintenance

One of the most expensive problems to have as a homeowner is a malfunctioning furnace. Before you begin to worry if your furnace isn’t working correctly, try resetting the home circuit breaker. Having not run for a long time, this could likely be the issue if your heating bill is rising. If there isn’t an issue, try changing the filters in your furnace. Dust and debris build-up can clog the filter, not allowing warm air to flow through easily or as effectively as you’d like it to. In turn, the increased production of warm heat in your home due to your furnace oversight will drive the cost up immensely. Make sure your furnace is clear of any nearby objects as well. It’s easy to place items next to a furnace in the basement as storage space. Not only is this dangerous, but it can lead to an increased build-up of debris in the filters and potentially ruin the burners.

Unfortunately, furnaces can age out over time. Routine maintenance can help improve the functionality of your furnace, but aging out eventually is inevitable. If in a pinch for funds, consider taking out a home equity loan (HEL) as a way to fund a furnace replacement. The benefits of receiving a home equity loan consist of a lump sum payment and tax-deductible interest, so far as the loan is used for home improvement projects. A HEL is a great way to utilize the equity in your home to be able to take on projects and repairs at short notice.

3. Install a Smart Thermostat

If you don’t have a smart thermostat or have never heard of one, this can become one of your biggest assets when it comes to saving on energy costs. Smart thermostats can be controlled remotely, allowing you to reduce the heating and cooling within your home when no one is present. Setting times to turn on and off heating, perhaps when you leave for work or are sleeping, can mean all the difference when it comes to saving costs.

With homes increasing technology presence, a smart thermostat is a perfect way to start reducing your utility bill expenses this winter. Setting your thermostat on a timer is a perfect way to predict expenses, assuming no irregular days occur in the winter.

4. Check Air Ducts

Looking throughout your home for supply and return air ducts can save you quite a bit of money. If an opening is being covered, it’s quite likely that area won’t be heating up as quickly as you’d expect it to. In turn, the natural instinct is to increase the temperature of the home, resulting in unnecessary expenses. Air duct openings can be on the ceiling, wall, or floor. While it’s important to keep these openings clear for warm air to flow through, it’s also suggested to clean around these areas often, as dust and debris can build up and be pushed around with the air or sucked up from the returns. Do yourself a favor, and make sure your home comprises healthy and breathable air.

5. Add Insulation

Properly insulating your home can be a lifesaver when it comes to trapping heat within your space this winter. You can easily check to see if your home is insulated by accessing the attic or looking behind finished or unfinished walls. After you confirm that you may need to insulate or reinsulate, your next step is to choose the appropriate insulation materials for your home’s region and climate. Remember, the purpose of insulation is to not heat your home, but, to slow the process of warmer air moving to colder spaces outside your home.

6. Purchase a Portable Heater & Humidifier

Depending on where you or your family spend the most time in your home, using a portable heater can be a solution to save big on heating bills. A portable heater allows you to still heat your area, without the cost associated with a furnace. Space heaters can be an effective way to heat your home or living space quickly, and cheaper than your furnace. However, be sure to turn it off when you or your family aren’t in the room because our goal is to save this winter. Choosing the best space heater that suits your needs is important, so be sure to compare several options and then make the decision.

You may be asking yourself how a humidifier can help with reducing your heating costs this winter, but it surely can. Humid air generally feels warmer than dry air, so having a humidifier in certain rooms can provide a level of comfort without needing to turn to the furnace to increase the heat.

If you don’t want to purchase one, there are ways you can make a homemade humidifier with little to no costs associated with it. A humidifier is a completely personal preference; the feeling of moist air may be uncomfortable to some people, but it’s an additional asset to combat your heating expenses should you choose to take advantage of it.

You Got This

You are now equipped with some additional ways to save money while heating your home this winter. Being proactive will help you have a more enjoyable winter, knowing that you’re saving money by taking the proper precautions. There are endless ways to help reduce costs, but these are some of the commonly overlooked methods.

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