6 Tips to Save on Heating Your HomePosted: 2017-11-01
| As one of the leading heating companies in White Bear Lake MN, Four Seasons Air Specialists is always providing guidance to Minnesota homeowners on how to enjoy the greatest comfort at a reasonable cost. Unfortunately, the cost of heating your home is a big expense for anyone living in Minnesota during the winter months. Finding ways to reduce your energy consumption can help you save money on your gas and electric bills every year. Our biggest recommendation is to have your furnace serviced every fall. Keeping your furnace properly maintained with a fall tune up will ensure it operates at peak performance throughout the winter, improving its energy efficiency and saving you money. You should also check your furnace filter monthly and replace it whenever it is dirty or clogged. This will be a huge help in increasing your furnace's energy efficiency. In addition to our two biggest recommendations, there are some simple ideas you can follow to reduce the amount of energy you use this winter, and save you money on those costly heating bills. Here are 6 ideas that can help you save energy consumption and money. 1. Lower Your Thermostat When Not at Home or Sleeping Lowering your thermostat's temperature setting by 10 degrees for eight hours a day can save about 10 percent on heating your home each winter (this is according to the U.S. Department of Energy). Lowering the temperature while you are not at home and when you are sleeping is a great way to achieve energy and cost savings. 2. Use the Heat of the Sun The sun can provide enough warmth to heat your home during a sunny day, even in the winter. Open all south-facing window coverings in your home during winter days. This “free” heat from the sun will keep your home warm, without needing to use the furnace as often. 3. Heat Only the Rooms You Use It's a waste of energy and money to heat rooms in your home that are not used. If you have rooms that are not used often, close the vents to those rooms. This will allow for a more efficient use of the heated air, as it will only flow into the rooms you use most. If you have multiple levels in your home or many rooms that need heat turned on and off frequently, you should give us a call to discuss having your home “zoned”. A zoned HVAC system will allow you to control the comfort levels in different areas of your home separately, with independent thermostats. 4. Ensure Your Home is Properly Insulated Air leaks will allow warm air to escape your home, let cooler air inside and activate your furnace or heating system more frequently, costing you unnecessary heating expenses. By checking your home for air leaks and sealing them up, you can save hundreds of dollars this winter. The biggest leak areas are around doors and windows. Foam weather stripping is a good way to seal your windows and doors. If you find any old weather stripping and see it is torn or worn down, replace it. 5. Use a Humidifier During our Minnesota winters, a home's indoor air can become very dry. Dryer air doesn't hold heat as well as moist air and feels cooler, driving us to increase the temperature setting on our thermostats and using more energy. Using a humidifier to add moisture into the air can help you feel warmer, even when the thermostat is set to a lower temperature. So, if you have a humidifier, use it! If you don't have one, buy one before the freeze hits. 6. Use Your Ceiling Fans Properly Better airflow and ventilation in a home equals greater energy efficiency. If used properly, ceiling fans will improve the airflow in your home. You should adjust the fan direction differently in the summer and winter months to ensure optimal air flow and comfort. will help keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Setting your ceiling fans to a clockwise direction on a lower setting during the winter months will push heated air down to keep your rooms warmer. During the summer, use a counter-clockwise direction that will pull warmer air up, keeping your rooms cooler. Call the Heating & Cooling Experts Four Seasons Air Specialists has provided heating, cooling and indoor air quality products and services to homeowners in the northeast metro of the Twin Cities since 1974. Our team is trained to install, service and repair all makes and models of HVAC equipment. If you have any heating needs, whether it be a new furnace, filters, a humidifier or air purification system, or if you require service or furnace repair in White Bear Lake, call the experts at Four Season Air Specialists. |