15 Ways to Save Money on Heating Bills This Winter

photo credit: lord-helmet

What does someone in the Deep South know about cold weather? Not much, more than likely, compared to many of you living up north, where it gets really cold.

But when it is 29 degrees with a wind chill of 20 (and damp!), it is pretty cold to me. Since it is going to be the coldest it has been in almost 15 years in the New Orleans area the next few days, I figured I’d share some ways to keep warm without just cranking up the heat and “torching” your energy bills. Cranking up the heat can also dry out your skin and sinuses, causing other problems.

Lower the thermostat- Whatever you normally keep the thermostat on during the winter, try lowering it a few degrees. It is not too hard to get acclimated to a lower temperature, and will keep your heating system from running as much.

Consider a programmable thermostat too- A programmable thermostat can allow you to lower the temperature during the day, especially if no one is at home during the day, for example, and you can have it start heating up the house again an hour or so before you and the family arrive home, so it is not too cold when you get there. You can also lower it some slightly at nighttime, while everyone is sleeping, and program it to rise an hour or so before everyone wakes up.

Check for leaks and drafts- Check around doors, windows and other openings for cracks and openings that may be allowing hot air to escape.

Bundle up -in layers- Wear long sleeves and pants, and wear layers to keep yourself warm indoors.(Which of course works outdoors as well, of course). I am used to wearing shorts and a T-shirt almost year round in the house, so changing your attire inside to something warmer can definitely help.

Blankets- Use layers of blankets at night, instead of just one, to keep warm and toasty when sleeping (or napping!)

Limit use of vent fans- Vent fans, in the bathroom or kitchen, can suck up hot air and exhaust it outside your house. When it is cold outside, try to limit using a vent or don’t use it at all.

Have furnace or heating system serviced regularly- The more efficient and clean your heating system is, the better it will operating and the quicker it will warm your house up to the desired temperature. If you haven’t had your heating system serviced in several years, it may help.

Keep your air filter clean- If you have a central A/C system or a furnace, keeping the filter clean by replacing it regularly will allow it to operate more efficiently, which will allow it to heat your home or apartment better.

Set ceiling fan in reverse- This does seem to work, although it is debatable to some. The theory is that since hot air rises, by reversing the ceiling fan you are pulling cooler air from right below the fan up, where it hits the warm air (and ceiling), which it pushes out towards the walls, and then down lower where you can benefit from it.

Check attic insulation- Heat rises- so if your attic is under-insulated, you will lose hot air through the attic. By the same token though, cold air under a raised house can make you feel colder and heat can be lost there also.

Use a space heater- space heaters, even a small heater fan, can direct heat to exactly where you need it.They also use a lot less energy than running your central system.

Get a hot water heater blanket- If your hot water heater is in an unconditioned area of the house, like a garage, attic, or utility room, using a water heater blanket can help insulate it, reducing the
amount of time it runs to heat the water up.

Close drapes at night, open during the day when there is sunlight- Use natural light when possible to allow heat from the sun into your house. Conversely, at night, closing them may help a little in preventing warm air from escaping.

Wear socks indoors- Some people prefer to go barefoot most of the time, but for whatever reason, I wear socks just about year round in the house, although my wife and kids prefer to go barefoot most of the time. But these last few weeks, even they have been wearing socks around the house.

Electric blanket- I’ve never used a real electric blanket (I have used a heating pad though!), but some of my friends in the far north swear by them.

If all else fails, try a snuggie!- One of these days, I’m going to have to get one of those things !