Who doesn’t love to stay warm and cozy indoors during the chilling winter months? However, spending most of your time indoors means adding up to your annual energy bills. Home heating is one of the most significant utility expenses you incur as a homeowner. So, is there any way you can cut down on your energy bill this winter? Yes, there are plenty of ways to keep your home warm while minimizing energy costs.
Don’t get scared; you won’t have to sleep in a freezing room in order to cut down the costs. Also, saving money on energy bills doesn’t mean you have to reshape your lifestyle choice or install any new technologies. Instead, just a few simple tips, and you’ll live an energy-efficient life.
Here are 10 efficient tips to save money on energy bills this winter so that you can spend those hard-earned dollars on something more exciting.
Contents
- 1 Program The Thermostat To A Lower Setting
- 2 Seal Air Leaks In Your House
- 3 Replace The Old Boiler
- 4 Pay Attention To Your Filters
- 5 Open Your Curtains And Let The Sunlight Heat Up Things
- 6 Shut The Doors In Unused Rooms
- 7 Insulate The Pipes To Keep The Water Hotter
- 8 Use Humidifiers
- 9 Install Plastic Window Treatments
- 10 Use Ceiling Fans
- 11 The Bottom Line
Program The Thermostat To A Lower Setting
Do you know you can save around 3 % on your energy bill per degree lowered for 24 hours? Your thermostat should be set to the lowest comfortable temperature, somewhere between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius. During the day, you can wear warm sweaters, socks, and long pants to keep yourself warm. Turning down the thermostat saves you not only dollars but also reduces loads of carbon dioxide per year from your household carbon footprint.
Seal Air Leaks In Your House
You head straight to your bedroom to get a cozy, comfortable sleep after a tiring day, only to realize that all the warm air has escaped through the leaks! Your house leaks hot air, but you can prevent hot air from leaking by sealing most of the leaks. To spot the leaks, wait until it gets dark and cold outside. There should be around a 30-degree difference in the indoor/outdoor temperatures.
The most common areas where air leaks through are doors, windows, around electrical outlets, and near the attic. You can use caulk or weather stripping to seal the leaks.
Replace The Old Boiler
You might be thinking we’re talking about saving money, not spending more. That’s true but do you know modern boilers are more energy-efficient than older versions? So you might have to spend a significant amount now, but you’ll save more on energy bills every year.
However, if you don’t want to spend more money, you can follow the cost-effective ways mentioned later in the article.
Pay Attention To Your Filters
Clean air filters ensure a better flow of hot air and reduce dust and allergens circulating through your home. This way, you can also reduce strain on your furnace, therefore, extending its life. You can change your filters monthly or whenever they are dirty.
Open Your Curtains And Let The Sunlight Heat Up Things
Why spend extra money when nature provides you with free resources? You might not see the bright and shiny sun during the winter months, but it’s not gone entirely. On sunny days, open up your curtains or blinds to take advantage of the sun’s warmth. But make sure you draw the curtains again before it gets dark.
Shut The Doors In Unused Rooms
If you’re not using the room, why heat it? You can shut the door and close the vent of every room you’re not using during the winters. Close the doors tightly also when you’re inside the room to prevent hot air from escaping and maintain the temperature.
Insulate The Pipes To Keep The Water Hotter
Insulating the pipe can reduce the amount of heat lost, therefore reducing the amount of energy needed to heat the water. All you have to do is select the right-sized foam pipes from any departmental stores and cover the exposed pipes between the boiler and hot water cylinder. You can easily do this yourself. However, if your pipes are located where you can’t reach them, you can call professionals.
Use Humidifiers
Using a humidifier in your room can reduce the heating cost as moist air retains heat better than dry air. Moreover, you will also get added benefits by using a humidifier such as soft, smooth skin and no blocked nose.
Install Plastic Window Treatments
Installing good-quality plastic window treatments can prevent the heat from escaping through the windows. This works well if you have single-pane windows. You can save up to 10 % more on your energy bills by installing window treatments. However, if you don’t want to buy new treatments, you can make your own window treatments. Just take out old warm blankets and hang them on the windows as curtains during the night. This will keep the room warm while keeping the warm air inside.
Use Ceiling Fans
If you have ceiling fans in your house because ceiling fans can help lower your energy bills. Just reverse the fan so the blades turn clockwise, and it will pull the warm air upwards and distribute it in the room. To ensure the fan is spinning in the right direction, stand beneath it. You should not feel air blowing down on you.
The Bottom Line
Most of the energy-saving tips mentioned above are inexpensive and easy enough for you to do. Of course, you won’t be able to bring your bills to zero. However, you’ll definitely notice a significant difference in the costs after adopting the mentioned tips. Not only will these save you a lot of money, but they reduce energy usage, which is beneficial for the environment.
