You may find that your heating bills are rather expensive during the winter. This often happens because it can be difficult for your HVAC system to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, and it has to work a lot harder than it did in the summer or the fall. If you are concerned with how much you will have to spend to heat your house in the upcoming weeks, there are some ways that you can conserve heat this winter without having to sacrifice the comfort of you or your family.
Open the Curtains When the Sun Is Out
When it is cold outside, you may be tempted to leave your curtains closed because you think this will help you keep the warm air inside. However, you can actually make your home warmer by opening the curtains when the sun is out. This will allow the warm sunshine to come in through the windows, and you can raise the temperature inside of your residence without it costing you anything. Just do not forget to close the curtains each night when the sun starts to set.
Avoid the Temptation to Close Vents in Rooms That You Are Not Using
While it may seem like there is really no reason why you should warm rooms that you are not using, you should avoid the temptation to close vents in those rooms. A common misconception is that closing vents will conserve energy, but the opposite is actually true. You will actually use more energy if you close vents. Your HVAC system is designed to heat your house based on its size, and you throw off the delicate balance when you close vents to certain rooms. Closing vents also increases pressure inside of your house’s duct system, which can lead to excessive wear and tear and premature breakdowns.
Use More Blankets and Clothes
If you want to conserve heat by lowering your thermostat, you can still stay warm by wearing more clothes when you are inside. Despite the fact that the inside of your home may be cooler, you may find that you can easily stay comfortable if you wear a couple of sweatshirts or more than one pair of socks. At night, you can also add a few more blankets to your bed to stay warm, even if your thermostat is set fairly low.
Utilize Space Heaters
If you are like a lot of individuals, you probably only spend time in one or two rooms in your home during the day. Because of this, you really do not need to warm your entire house. You can conserve some heat this winter by using space heaters to heat the rooms that you are in. While these heaters do use electricity, the amount they use can be a lot less than what an HVAC system uses. By using space heaters to warm just a room or two at a time, you can use a lot less electricity overall.
Eliminate Drafts
Many individuals find that they have issues keeping their home at a comfortable temperature in the winter months because there is air coming in around the windows and exterior doors. If you feel cold air coming inside despite the fact that your windows and doors are closed, you need to eliminate these drafts. Most individuals can easily do this themselves by replacing the weatherstripping around their doors and windows.
Leave the Oven Door Ajar After Cooking
There is a good chance that you will probably do a lot of cooking in the winter. You can conserve some energy by leaving your oven door ajar after cooking. The warm air will heat the surrounding space, and you may find that it raises the temperature in this area by a few degrees.
Get a Programmable Thermostat
It is not uncommon to waste a lot of energy by heating your house during those times when you are not home. Unfortunately, many individuals forget to change the temperature on their thermostat before they go to work or leave their houses for the day. You can keep this from happening by getting a programmable thermostat. You can program it so that it will automatically turn on or off throughout the day.
If you are worried about how much money you will have to spend heating your home this winter, there are plenty of things that you can do to conserve energy. You may also want to consider contacting Heatwave Heating & Cooling. We offer a variety of heating and cooling services, including HVAC repair, installation, and maintenance. We also offer indoor air quality and water heater services in Amherst and the surrounding areas. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.
