Bizpals- Saving money and home heating

Category Heating and AC Contractors

Hot But Not Bothered: Saving Money on Home Heating

Americans spend a chunk of change every year on energy bills—an average of $2,200 per household . And according to the US Department of Energy (USDOE), heating and cooling accounts for 50 to 70% of our energy consumption. While it's true that no one can predict the future, it seems highly unlikely that the cost of energy will drop in the foreseeable future. There are smart ways to save money on home heating costs so your family doesn’t sit shivering in a cold house all winter. Installing a programmable thermostat, adding insulation, checking your ducts and tuning-up or replacing a furnace are all projects that can pay off with savings on your energy bills over the years to come.

Thermostat Tips

The thermostat is your first weapon in the battle against high home heating bills. Reducing the heat by just a few degrees can save considerably on your heating bills. For every degree you turn your thermostat down in the 60 to 70 degree range, you'll save up to 5% on home heating costs, according to the California Energy Commission, which recommends that you set the thermostat to 68 degrees in the daytime and 55 degrees at night. If you are going to be away from home for a day or two, lower the heating even further to save more. But check the weather forecast before you leave--don't turn the heating off altogether if you are expecting a severe frost because there may be a danger of frozen pipes. And if you don’t have a programmable thermostat, you should install one. They are pretty simple to install with this helpful video which provides step by step instructions on wiring and programming a thermostat.

Insure With Insulation

According to the USDOE, inadequate insulation is a leading cause of wasted energy in most homes and adding insulation even to a newer home is a project that can pay for itself in a few years. Many older homes have less insulation than homes being built today; if your house fits this description, you may want to consider adding insulation. Increasing insulation in areas such as attics, crawl spaces, foundations, basements, ducts, cathedral ceilings and exterior walls will help keep an even temperature throughout your home. You can find a very complete description of the areas in your home that may require extra insulation, how to inspect your home to see if extra insulation is needed, and the recommended types of insulation for each area in the home on the USDOE website.

Heating System Maintenance

Making sure your heating system is in good working order is another way to start getting those heating costs down. Heating systems should be inspected to make sure that the gas or oil connections, burner combustion, gas pressure and heat exchanger are all working properly. A dirty burner, for instance, can cause your heating system to operate less efficiently and safely. Cleaning your heat pump and furnace filters regularly will help improve the efficiency of your home's energy use, since dirty filters can interfere with airflow. And now is a good time to think about having a furnace tune-up done. A tune-up will make sure that your furnace is properly adjusted, clean and lubricated and operating at maximum efficiency. The California Energy Commission's Consumer Energy Center estimates that a furnace tune-up can save up to 5% on heating costs.

Energy Star Furnaces

If your furnace is more than fifteen years old, you may want to consider replacing it with an Energy Star certified furnace. Energy Star certified appliances must meet the guidelines set by the US Department of Environmental Protection. In California, for instance, such furnaces are labeled with a “U.S. South” Energy Star Logo and are required to be more than 12% more efficient than standard furnaces. You may be entitled to a rebate when you purchase an energy-efficient appliance; consult the website of your utility company for information on rebates.

Duct Maintenance

It's estimated that 20% of the air that moves through the typical house is lost due to leaks and holes in ducts or poorly connected ducts, resulting in higher utility bills. It can be difficult for the homeowner to repair ducts that are often hidden in ceilings, walls, basements and attics. For that reason, the savvy homeowner may want to hire a heating and AC contractor to check your ducts, and carry out repairs and improvements like sealing leaks and connections and sealing gaps behind registers and grills.
If you've decided to hire a heating contractor to improve your energy efficiency by doing a furnace tune-up, installing a new furnace, or inspecting and repairing ducts, use BizPals to locate top contractors in our Services Directory, where you can also find a handy guide to hiring heating contractors. And stay warm this winter without worrying about the cost of energy.