Heating your home in the winter can be expensive. As temperatures drop, you’ll run your furnace more often and use more energy. The cost increase will be most noticeable following a cold snap, but even moderately chilly weather forces you to use your HVAC system more often.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to get your house ready for winter and reduce your heating bills. While you won’t eliminate your costs altogether, following these tips helps you lower your expenses now and for years to come.
Act now because winter is coming soon. Here’s how to save money on your heating bills during the coldest months of the year.
Do the Necessary Furnace Maintenance
First and foremost, you’ll want to complete your annual furnace maintenance before firing it up for the first time. This maintenance includes replacing filters, inspecting your thermostat, and checking the blower and burners.
Clear air ducts are also vital because debris and dust can limit airflow and prevent your system from running efficiently. When your ducts are clogged, your furnace has to work harder to do its job, consuming more energy.
You’ll want to hire HVAC professionals in your local area to handle your furnace maintenance because a dirty or malfunctioning furnace can be dangerous. Your annual maintenance checkup will also identify potential problems with your system so you can repair them before they leave you without service.
Seal Air Leaks
Air leaks add considerable expense to your heating and cooling systems. However, air can leak almost anywhere in your home, so identifying and sealing these issues can be challenging.
Start by looking at your doors and windows. Installing some weather stripping around your doors or caulking around your windows limits the amount of warm air escaping, reducing your heating bills.
Your ducts could also be leaking, which is a job you’ll need professional help to repair. By asking an HVAC professional to look at your ducts to see if air is escaping and assisting with the restoration, you can reduce your expenses in the winter even further.
You might also think about upgrading the insulation in your attic. While this job is more expensive than adding weather stripping, it can also lead to significant cost savings.
Overall, estimates suggest proper insulation and air sealing can reduce your energy consumption by 10-20%, making it well worth the effort if you’re serious about spending less on heating this winter and for years to come.
Install Heat Pumps
Installing heat pumps are popular HVAC solutions for homes and businesses because they have both heating and cooling capabilities. They’re also energy efficient and can reduce your heating bills in the winter.
The gist is that heat pumps don’t generate heat; they transfer it. They pull heat from the ground or air to heat your home, saving the average American homeowner over $550 annually in energy expenses.
It’s worth noting that heat pumps don’t perform the best in extremely cold climates, but they’re a good choice in areas such as the South, Northwest and Southwest because of the moderate weather. As a bonus, they also reduce your household emissions, so you can do your part for the environment while saving some cash.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
Many homeowners make the mistake of turning their furnace up at the beginning of winter and leaving it there until it starts warming up in the spring, even when there’s no one home. This strategy makes some sense on the surface because you don’t want to return to a cold house following a long day at work, but there is a solution offering the best of both worlds.
A programmable thermostat can automatically turn your HVAC system down when the house is empty during the day or when you’re sleeping at night and turn it up before you return home or wake up in the morning. Programming the thermostat in this way will reduce your energy bills substantially because you won’t be paying to keep your home at an ideal temperature when no one is there to enjoy it.
Programmable thermostats are compatible with most newer furnaces, so ask your HVAC company if they would be good options for you.
Buy Energy Efficient Furnace
Of course, you probably want to keep your current furnace running as long as possible because purchasing a new one is a significant expense. Once your unit approaches the end of its lifespan, though, investing in an energy-efficient replacement makes all kinds of sense.
According to the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), an ENERGY STAR-qualified residential furnace with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 99% saves homeowners an average of $1,329 over its lifetime when compared to a less efficient model. A unit with an AFUE of 95% saves about $1,094 on average.
So, if you have to get a new furnace anyway and the costs of the various units you’re considering are comparable, going with the more efficient option is recommended because it will save you money each and every winter.
Hire the HVAC Professionals You Need
You’ll have to be proactive to prepare your home for winter and lower your heating bills because some of these ideas will require some work. Hiring HVAC professionals to visit your home to handle your furnace maintenance and other jobs makes your life easier, though, providing peace of mind.