Whether you want to save some money on heating or do your part in helping the environment, cutting down your energy consumption will help you reach your goal.
Paying your heating and cooling bills is one of your biggest monthly expenses. This is especially true if you live in regions with extreme temperature shifts like Minnesota.
The good news is, a few simple adjustments in your home can significantly lower your energy expenses. Below are practical tips to lower your energy consumption while keeping your home comfortably warm this winter.
Seal Under-the-Door & Window Air Leaks
If you can feel the breeze and see daylight under your entry doors, you are letting heated air escape, increasing your energy consumption. Adjusting your door threshold or installing a new door sweep can help fix this problem.
Also, check your windows for any air leaks and seal them up. Eliminating air leaks is one of the easiest and most effective ways to save energy usage.
Use a Space Heater
Turning down your thermostat during the winter will help you save money. According to the US Department of Energy, for every degree you lower the furnace’s thermostat, you’ll save 1 percent on your energy bill.
Having said that, you will need to wear more clothes to stay warm. One solution is to use a space heater. This will allow you to stay snug in the room where family members typically gather, say, for example, the living room or the dining room. Fireplaces and fireplace inserts can provide space heating, but electric heaters are the simplest way to keep a room warm.
If you decide to use a space heater, make sure to get the right type. The Department of Energy suggests that if you need to heat a particular part of a room, choose a radiant heater, which emits infrared radiation that heats up whatever is closest to the unit. If you want to heat up an entire room, go for a convection heater, which warms up the air.
Keep in mind that in order for you to save on heating bills while using space heaters, you need to lower the temperature in your central heating system as well.
Use Quilted Curtains
While windows provide natural daylight and picturesque view, they become holes in the sides of your home, releasing heat during the winter months. About 20-50% of all the energy that is used to heat up your home during the winter is lost through the windows. This misdirected energy increases your heating bills.
This can be easily fixed by making use of quilted curtains, which act as insulation for your windows. Curtains create an air gap between the room and the glass, increasing your comfort and letting you keep the temperature down.
Use a Humidifier
The air inside your home can become very dry, particularly if you are in the Midwest, Southwest or the West Coast.
During the freezing winter months, turning up the thermostat increases the temperature in your home, but it doesn’t guarantee you will feel warmer if the air is too dry. Warm air holds more moisture, so adding humidity to the air in your home with a humidifier can help you feel warmer while allowing you to set the thermostat at lower temperatures.
The ideal humidity level for your home is between 25 and 40 percent in the winter. Use a humidifier with a built-in humidistat to stabilize humidity levels.
You can also increase the humidity in your home by adding a collection of houseplants.
Get a Furnace Tune Up
It is recommended that a licensed professional handle the maintenance of your heating system. While there may be an upfront cost in tuning up your furnace, you’ll make it up in the long term with more efficient heating that lowers your energy bills, not to mention prolonging the life of your furnace.
The tune-up consists of several checks that include inspection, preventive maintenance and identifying parts that may need repair or replacement. The technician can also find any carbon monoxide or gas leaks and seal them up to keep your family safe. Maintaining your furnace is a much wiser choice than neglecting to properly maintain your system and calling your heating company later on for furnace repair.
Call the Heating Pros at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning
Entrust your furnace only to a trusted heating company in Minnetonka, such as Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning. We have worked hard to become the best heating and air conditioning company in the Twin Cities, including the cities of Plymouth and Minnetonka.
For any heating-related concerns or for more information on how to save money on heating bills this winter, give us a call. We’ll be happy to help.