During the winter, it can be very easy to let your heating costs get out of hand. As the temperature gets lower and lower, you’ll probably be tempted to have the heater cranked up for many hours at a time. However, running your furnace all the time can quickly get expensive if you aren’t careful. To ensure that you don’t break the bank, there are a few simple energy-saving heating tips you can utilize this winter. That way, you can keep your finances in check without needing to sacrifice your comfort.
By giving your heating system consistent breaks, you’ll not only save energy, but you’ll also help keep your furnace healthy and effective for the long run. That said, the energy savings are certainly not to be overlooked. According to the United States Department of Energy, you can reduce your heating costs by up to 10% by simply lowering the thermostat by 10 degrees for eight hours each day. The easiest way to achieve this is by doing it when you go to sleep each night. After all, if you’re under the covers, you probably don’t need the rest of the house to be as warm. If you manage to give your heater those eight hours of rest every night, the savings over the entire winter will be substantial.
One great way to save money on energy this winter is by ensuring that your furnace is running at peak efficiency. The best way to make that happen is by scheduling a professional heating tune-up. If you’re in the Downriver area, you can schedule this beneficial service with our skilled team at Flo-Aire. We’ll clean your furnace, inspect its components, and adjust to improve its performance and efficiency. As a result, your monthly energy costs will be significantly lower, and your heater will also do a better job of keeping your home comfortable. Plus, the odds of encountering a furnace malfunction or breakdown will decrease significantly, which means you likely won’t have to pay for a pricey repair job.
Your furnace’s air filter has a very important role. Whenever you have the heater running, that filter is trapping the airborne contaminants as they pass through. This helps keep your indoor air clean and your heating system operating smoothly. Eventually, though, the filter will become very dirty or clogged if it isn’t replaced, which can cause the furnace’s airflow to be restricted. When that happens, your heater must start working harder to circulate air, which leads directly to more energy being used. Additionally, the extra strain makes it more likely that an equipment problem will occur. To help ensure that your air is clean, and your furnace is running efficiently, switch the filter out for a clean one before the winter kicks into full gear. Then, make a point to monitor and change the filter regularly until the weather starts warming up again.
Although you may not know they’re there, your home might be harboring quite a few small air leaks. Even if the openings are tiny, they can allow quite a bit of warm air to escape your household during the winter. In addition to affecting your comfort, that forces your furnace to work much harder to compensate for the heat that’s escaping. That wastes significant amounts of energy and puts unnecessary wear and tear on your heating appliance. Fortunately, you should be able to avoid these issues if you inspect your home for leaks before the winter weather arrives. Typically, you’ll find the openings around the edges of windows and doorways, and if you can’t see them, you may be able to feel the air moving with your hand. Then, you can use weather stripping and caulking to tightly seal any gaps that you discover.
Another way that you can give your heating system breaks this winter is by strategically using your household curtains. For example, curtains can be very effective at trapping heat in your home, so it’s a good idea to keep them all closed in the evening. That way, you can keep the house relatively warm without having the heater on. However, when the sun is shining during the day, you’d be wise to keep some of your curtains completely open. That will allow the sunlight to flood your home, providing natural warmth and allowing you to give the heater a break. Over an entire winter, you can save quite a bit of energy just by being smart about how you use your curtains.
If you don’t currently have high-quality insulation installed in your attic, you could save quite a bit of energy this winter by investing in some. Warm air always rises naturally, so when your attic isn’t insulated, the heat from your furnace tends to float to the very top of the house. Then, it will typically either linger in the attic or even leak out through your roof. That ends up leaving most of your living space cold, which forces your heater to continue running for much longer. Ultimately, you’re not as comfortable as you’d like, energy is being wasted, and lots of mileage is being put on your furnace. However, if you have attic insulation, it will serve as a barrier to stop the heat from reaching the top of your home. As a result, you won’t need to run the heater for nearly as long to be comfortable, and you’ll save quite a bit of energy. There are several types of insulation to choose from, but spray foam insulation is one option that’s always reliable.
At Flo-Aire Heating, Cooling & Electrical, we’ve been proudly serving the greater Downriver area for over 60 years. Our friendly technicians are always available to handle any heating services you need. We want you and your family to have a comfortable, efficient home this winter, and we’ll do whatever we can to help make that happen. Contact us today at (734) 285-1809 if you’d like to schedule an appointment or learn more about what we offer!
Locally owned and operated in Southgate, MI since 1955, Flo-Aire Heating, Cooling & Electrical is one of the top heating & cooling companies in Southeast Michigan. Flo-Aire provides residential, commercial and industrial HVAC services throughout all of Metro Detroit.
