How to Save Money While Heating Your Home
If you live in a cool climate, you know just how quickly the temperatures can fluctuate during the fall. One minute you’re reaching for the fan and the next you’re curling up next to the radiator. But you also know it’s only a matter of weeks until you’re reaching for the heat more often than not.
According to Energy.gov, heating and cooling accounts for up to 48 percent of your utility bill. Wouldn’t it be great if you could lower that number? By understanding how you can optimize your heating, you can start saving more money (and keeping more in your wallet):
Cover up drafts. Sometimes your heat doesn’t work as well as it should because you also have cold air coming in through your windows. By insulating the inside of your window frames, you can tightly seal any places where a draft might be present. Tape a plastic sheet tightly to these frames to keep the draft out and let your heating system do its job right.
Find leaks. Other times your heat doesn’t work as efficiently because you have a leak in your pipes. When this occurs, your warm air escapes before it ever reaches the rooms in your home. The trick here is to seal these air leaks where you suspect you might have one. If you’re not sure how to find leaks but think you might have one, call Leslie Heating & Cooling to fix the problem at hand.
Turn down the water heater. When the temperature of your water heater is set too high, you spend more money no matter how low the temperature is set on your thermostat. Water heating takes up about 18 percent of energy used at home, so turning it down to a setting of about 120 degrees fahrenheit can save you a good chunk of money.
Maintain your system. If you can’t find any leaks or drafts but you’re still spending a lot of money trying to heat your home, the problem might be your furnace. If not maintained, your furnace can lose its efficiency overtime. This means it’s important to schedule a service for your heating system at least twice a year, especially before winter.
At Leslie Heating and Cooling, we offer several heating services including maintenance to ensure that your HVAC system is working its very best. We are a family-owned and operated business based in Woodridge, Illinois and are here for all of your emergency needs. To learn more, give us a call at (630) 576-9235 or visit our website.
