Heating Habits That Can Save You Money
As the days get colder and the nights get longer, it is typical for heating bills to soar. Cold weather means that everyone is using their heaters and furnaces more often. Holiday season means that people are entertaining and may be obliged to turn their thermostats even warmer than if they were home alone. However, cold weather does not need to equal high heating bills.
By properly maintaining your heating system and making sure your home is free of cracks or cold drafts, you can make sure your home is heating efficiently. This will mean less money spent each month on heating bills while still feeling warm and comfortable!
Make Sure Your Home is Airtight
Making sure your home is airtight is one very simple way to save money on heating bills. Drafty homes let warm air out and cold air in, making them harder to heat. Homes that are poorly insulated or that have drafts near windows and doors are much more expensive to heat because the heating system needs to work twice as hard to keep the home at a comfortable temperature.If you have an older home, it might be worth it to get your house entirely re-insulated. This can be expensive, but it pays off in the long run with drastically lower heating bills. It is common for most homes to be a bit drafty near windows and doors. Windows and doors are essentially holes in the exterior wall filled with a thinner material than the wall itself.
Caulking around windows can help prevent cold air from getting into your home. You can also use thin plastic to cover windows. Most hardware stores sell kits with plastic and double-sided tape that can be used to cover drafty windows. A hair blow dryer can be used to shrink the plastic and make an airtight covering. You can use weatherstripping around drafty doors to make them more airtight.
Maintain Your Heating System
Maintaining your heating system is also important for saving money on your heating bill. Cleaning air filters in the furnace regularly keeps your system working as efficiently as possible because dirty filters require the furnace to work harder and use more energy. Keeping vents clean and clear helps air travel more effectively around the house, which also makes sure the furnace is working as efficiently as possible and not using extra energy.
It is usually a good idea to have an HVAC professional check out your heating system at the beginning of the cold weather season to be sure that there are no blockages in your system and to keep your furnace running and smoothly as possible. Staying up to date on maintenance also means that the furnace will last longer along with allowing your home to have clean air each and every day.
Make Sure to Replace Old HVAC Parts
When it comes to saving money, it can seem like it makes sense to wait to replace old HVAC parts. But not replacing these parts can end up costing you more money in the long run. Old parts can result in a heating system not working efficiently and can result in your home not being properly heated.Even if you think you are saving money by keeping the old parts, you may end up paying more money for your heating bill and living in an uncomfortable home environment. Old HVAC parts can leak air, have blockages, or make unpleasant squeaking or grinding noises.
In the long run, it is much cheaper to replace them than to leave them. Replacing old parts can save you money on your heating bill and also help your heating system last longer.
Trust The Meridian Company!
The Meridian Company started out in 1984 as Meridian Plumbing. They have since included HVAC and bathroom/kitchen remodeling. While their business has evolved over the years, they remain firmly rooted in old fashioned customer service.
Now in their third decade of business, their team anticipates more opportunities to be a benefit to the community through better service, more advanced technologies and solutions, and faster response times.
