5 Ways to Reduce Utility Bills This Winter
Reduce Utility Bill This Winter
With the rise of the cost of energy, most families are seeking realistic methods of cutting energy costs. The Department of Energy states that 55% of the total energy bill for residential customers pays for heating and cooling, while 45% pays for hot water, appliances, lighting, and communication.1
Since that is the case, improving the energy efficiency of your home may be the best way to reduce your total energy bill. If you are looking for easy ways to reduce your energy bill quickly, consider these methods for the heating season.
1 Use Window Treatments Efficiently
Glass is a very poor insulator and readily allows the transfer of heat. However, the transfer of heat works both ways. During sunny winter days, solar energy will move into your home through window panes and you can use this to your benefit. Solar gain is free energy, so open blinds, and drapes during the day.
Energy-efficient window treatments, such as cellular shades and thermal curtains, reduce heat transfer year-round. They will reduce the loss of heat during cloudy days and winter nights since they create an insulating barrier around the windows.
2 Use Caulk and Weather Stripping to Reduce Utility Bill
Turn off the furnace, light an incense stick and use it to test air leakage around windows and doors. Watch for the smoke to move due to air currents coming in from small gaps around the windows. Caulk and weather-stripping can seal the gaps and reduce the movement of air, another energy thief. The average home has gaps equivalent to a window opened two inches.
3 Use Appliances in a Timely Manner
All appliances that use electricity produce at least some heat due to electrical resistance. Cleaning and drying clothes and dishes, cooking, and heating water are processes that you know create residual heat. Schedule cooking and cleaning on a schedule that enhances comfort—while the family is present—costs nothing and can reduce the need for heat from the furnace.
4 Program Your Thermostat to Reduce Utility Bill
New, programmable and smart thermostats allow you to schedule adjustments to your heat settings, lowering the temperature while everyone sleeps or while everyone is away. Reducing the temperature by 100 for a total of 8 hours per day can result in a 10% reduction in heating costs. Schedule a warming cycle 30 minutes before the family awakes or arrives for a customized, comfy welcome. The programs are easy to set and easy to adjust if needed.
5 Maintain Your HVAC system to Reduce Utility Bill
The enemy of most mechanical devices is dirt—any small particle that impedes free movement and increases friction. That is certainly true concerning your service. The air filter traps the majority of airborne particles, but the small amount that passes through can build up and reduce efficiency. An annual preventative maintenance schedule ensures that dust does not cause wear and tear to slow the system, shorten the lifespan and consume more energy.
Questions About How to Reduce Utility Bill?
Call for information regarding ways to Reduce Utility Bills this Winter.
Call Doctor Cool & Professor Heat today at 281-338-8751 or email Doctor Cool for tips about Furnace Flame Sensors.
1https://rpsc.energy.gov/energy-data-facts#:~:text=Of%20the%20energy%20used%20in,remaining%2045%25%20of%20total%20consumption
