Cold weather and an empty wallet don’t have to go together. While heating your home isn’t exactly cheap, it doesn’t need to completely deplete your monthly budget. Luckily, by following a few simple tips, you can keep your house comfortable all season long, while still saving money on your energy bill.
Heat loss around windows and doors
Drafty windows and doors in your home force your furnace to run more often and for a longer period, which ultimately means higher energy bills and less money in your pocket. To put it simply, gaps around your windows and exterior doors let cold winter air seep into your home and allow the warm air produced by your furnace to escape your home. Thankfully, you don’t necessarily need to replace your old windows and doors to solve your heat loss problem. Instead, you can inspect the fixtures to pinpoint the gaps and either caulk the area or add weather stripping. Both options will ensure cold air stays out and warm air stays in.
Change the air filter
The dirtier the air filter in your furnace is, the harder your unit must work. A filter left unchanged for too long becomes clogged with dust, pet hair, and other debris, which eventually restricts your furnace’s airflow. When the air traveling through your system is blocked, your unit will waste more energy as it struggles to warm your home. How often you’re required to change the filter depends on your house, however, it is highly recommended you inspect the filter at least once a month to determine whether it’s time to swap it out or not.
Don’t block vents
If you don’t already know where all the vents in your home are located, take a moment and go room to room to find each one in order to ensure that there is no blockage by area rugs or furniture. A covered vent restricts the airflow in that room, meaning your furnace will need to put a bigger effort forward to warm your home.
Get a furnace inspection
Hiring a professional HVAC technician to inspect and tune up your furnace once a year is the best way to save money on your energy bill. A tune-up ensures your furnace is functioning at its highest level of energy efficiency, which is key to saving money every winter.
If you would like to schedule a furnace tune-up or you would like to learn more energy-saving tips, please feel free to contact us!