Warm up Your Home and Lower Your Heating Costs with These Heat Saving Tips

Because of today’s unstable economy, finding a job or even keeping a job is tough. Many people are anxious about surviving the approaching winter season. Now more than ever, it is time you review your heat saving habits. There are plenty of super easy ways to save money and heating (in Danish the term is verwarming) energy. These five heat saving ideas will surely be helpful in reducing your heating bills this winter.

1. Turn back the thermostat

This tip seems like a no-brainer but most people are not aware of how it can greatly reduce your heating bill. However, be careful not to turn the thermostat down drastically. Turning it down two to three degrees lower is enough. Put on a sweater and warm socks and you can feel just as comfortable in a lower temperature.

2. Upgrade to a programmable thermostat

Programmable thermostat is an effective heat saving device which allows you to set the temperature down when you are not home. It automatically changes temperature at different times of the day. You can even program it to emit different heating temperature everyday. If you are going away for a couple of day, you can program it to rise automatically before you get back so your home will be comfortably warm before you arrive.

3. Shut doors, windows and other openings tight.

Don’t let heat escape through unfastened doors, cracks or window panes. This lost heat is costing you money, so make every effort to seal the gaps using weather stripping or caulking. If you have older windows, make sure you use a plastic window kit to produce some kind of insulation to prevent the heat from drawing out the window. Locks also give tighter and less draft resistant solution.

4. Be careful when using a fireplace

If you think that a fireplace can help you save money on your heating bills, think again. A lot of people like to use the fireplace because it reinforces the heat in their homes at the same time keeps their heating bills low. While this is true with some fireplace models such as the wood or pellet stove, most types of fireplaces can actually suck the heat out of your home. The fireplace only warms up your home when it is burning hotly. But when it is out, heat is pulled out through the chimney. So, when the fireplace is not in use, be sure to seal the flue closed.

5. Tune up your furnace

This is also the perfect time to perform a furnace tune-up. Hire a pro to check and clean up the furnace. An annual check up helps the furnace to work more efficiently and reduce its operating cost. Not only is this a smart heat saving tip, but a good means to preserve the condition of your furnace. Let’s not forget how important it is to frequently clean and change the furnace’s filters. Filters may develop dust and dirt build up which can restrict the airflow in the furnace and result to poor performance and higher heating costs.