Heating a home is expensive. Even in Louisiana, there is a good stretch of the winter when we need to keep our heat on all the time, and that can be very costly. Sometimes, though, we are paying for more than we need. We’d like to share some tips for making the most of your heat and decreasing your utility bills this winter. And not only that: minimizing the amount your heater needs to work means minimizing wear and tear on the system, so you require fewer repairs. It can even help your heater to have a longer lifespan, so it will keep you cozy for many more winters.
Heat Only When You Need It
When you’re going to be out for the day or away for the weekend, you can set your heat to a very low temperature. Don’t go lower than 55 degrees to make sure your pipes don’t freeze. Some thermostats are programmable, so you can set them to automatically lower the temperature at the time when you leave for work and start heating your home back up before you return. Smart thermostats are even better: you can use an app on your phone to adjust your home’s temperature no matter where you are.
Lower the Temperature
You’ve gotten accustomed to a certain temperature, but would you really be uncomfortable if you set it just two degrees lower? If not, you could even try two degrees lower than that. You can also decrease the temperature slightly overnight, when you’ll be bundled in blankets and won’t need the heat.
Use Your Ceiling Fans
Warm air rises, and unless you’re spending a lot of time up by the ceiling, you’ll benefit from bringing that warm air back downward. There’s a little switch on ceiling fans that changes the direction the blades rotate. In the winter, make sure your fan rotates clockwise. This way, it will push the air down. This may completely balance out the effect of turning your thermostat down a few degrees, keeping you just as cozy with much less cost.
Let the Sunshine In
When the sun hits a window, be sure the curtains or blinds are open. This can warm your home significantly, like the glass of a greenhouse. But when it’s dark, if you have heavy or insulated curtains, shut them to keep heat in.
Close Off Unoccupied Areas
Make sure garages and attics have their doors firmly shut. You may also close off spaces like a guest bedroom that are rarely used, so you don’t have to spend money to keep them comfortable. Just make sure that heat vents, registers, or radiators in those spaces are closed or turned off.
Insulate
Anything you can do to keep your heated air in and cold drafts out will save you a lot in heating costs. Storm windows or insulated curtains can be installed. For a more affordable option, windows can be sealed with plastic, and caulk or foam weather stripping can be used to close up any cracks around the frames. There are weatherstrips that can be added to the bottoms of doors as well, and door snakes can easily be made by filling a cloth tube with sand.
We hope these tips help, and that you stay cozy all winter while paying less for your heat. And remember, if you need heating services in Claiborne, LA, we’ve been here since 1987 and we’ll be around whenever you need us.
Contact Mike Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC. We provide “Professional grade service.”