We all anticipate higher energy bills to keep our homes comfortable as the temperature steadily drops into December. More expensive energy bills are common across Halton region in the winter, but they aren’t necessarily inevitable. There is plenty you can do to lower the amount you spend keeping your family warm over the next few months.
Here are 5 easy fixes to consider for improved home comfort and decreased costs through the winter:
Balanced humidity levels at home can actually make you feel warmer, even if it doesn’t actually change the temperature.
Most homeowners can set the thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter when paired with either a whole house humidifier or small, room-sized units. That can save enough money through the winter to buy the kids the 200 piece pencil-crayon set they need in the spring.
Why are you heating the kids’ rooms while they’re away at university? Block the vents, close the doors and reduce the square footage you need to keep warm.
Take inventory of how often you use each room in your home. Block the vents and close the doors in any rooms you use irregularly. When you need those rooms it won’t take long open the vents and warm them up.
A furnace struggling to pump out warm air, because of a clogged filter or some more complicated issue, will not run as efficiently as a well-maintained system.
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Something as simple as a clogged filter, for example, can almost double the amount of work your furnace does to warm the house. So a quick filter replacement, part of routine maintenance, can save you hundreds of dollars through the winter.
A standard water heater exerts energy all day and night - when you're at work, asleep, watching a movie, cooking dinner - to maintain a tank full of hot water. This contributes a significant chunk of your energy bill.
You have 2 ways to cut back on water heating.
Upgrade to a super-insulated water tank from John Wood.Either way, if your water tank is more than 5 years old, you’re probably wasting money each month.
If you spend most of your time in the same areas of your home, you could turn the furnace way down and refine your space heating system.
You have a wood burning stove on your main floor? Keep a small fire going and plug in 1 or 2 small space heaters at opposing ends of the floor. You might even be able to turn the furnace off entirely.
Looking for more ways to save money over the long term? Contact a member of our team today.
