Holding Down Your Heating Costs Without Spending a Fortune

It’s possible to lower your heating costs without investing a significant amount of money by using a multiple-pronged approach that will impact the overall efficiency of your home, and its heating system. Use one or more of the tips below to start saving on heating costs immediately.

No-cost tips:

• Lower the temperature in your home. Doing so by just a few degrees can result in significant savings. Optimal time periods to dial back the thermostat are when you’re sleeping or away from home.
• Run exhaust fans while you shower or use the kitchen. But don’t run them too long, or they’ll consume extra energy.
• Lower the water heater’s temperature setting. Manufacturers generally preset systems to run at 140 degrees, but adjusting the unit’s setting to 120 degrees will still get you comfortably warmed hot water and save energy.
• Use energy from the sun to your advantage by opening the curtains on windows that face the south throughout daytime hours. Close them when the sun goes down to keep heated air inside the home.
• Don’t block heating registers, as this will reduce the total amount of heat that your home receives.

Tips that are low in cost:

• Use caulk to seal leaks that occur around windows, doors, electrical outlets and plumbing pipes. You can even take advantage of tax credits that apply toward air-sealing materials.
• Have your home’s insulation assessed. Upgrading old or worn insulation can improve energy savings in your home dramatically.
• Leaky ducts can lead to a lot of wasted energy. To ensure that your ductwork system distributes air through a sealed environment, assess your ducts and seal leaks with mastic, a special putty substance designed to adhere to ducts.
• Increase the insulation around your water heater to reduce standby losses.

You can ward off high heating costs this winter by implementing a combination of the above energy-saving tips, and reduce the amount of energy your home systems consume. For more energy-saving ideas, or to ask our efficiency experts a question, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical today! A local, family-owned company, we’ve been serving the Greater Charlotte area since 1972.