Heating Tips: Don’t Sweat It
You’ll stay warm and keep your energy bills down if you follow these simple tips.
Clean or replace furnace filters once a month or as needed.
Set your thermostat at 68-70 degrees during the day and 60-62 degrees at night. Setting your thermostat back by 10 degrees can save 15% on your heating costs.
If you’ll be away from home all day, lower the setting on the thermostat so that you’re not heating an empty house. Consider installing a programmable thermostat that will automatically lower the setting at night when you can stay warm under the covers and during the workday when you’re not at home.
If possible, install a heat pump. It won’t save you much in the summer, but it will in the winter. Heat pumps are twice as efficient at moderate winter temperatures as resistance heating.
Keep draperies on the sunny side of the house open during the day to allow sunlight in and closed at night to reduce the chill from cold windows.
Close the vents in spare bedrooms and other rooms that you do not use. Why pay to heat areas that don’t need it?
Watch out for too much fireplace draft, which can pull hot air out of your home. “Heat-a-lators” or “inserts” solve this problem. Keep your fireplace damper closed when you’re not using the fireplace.