10 Tips To Save Money During Winter Amy Smith, July 14, 2023August 1, 2023 10 Tips To Save Money During Winter Image Source: Freepik Do you always end up spending too much money during and after winter? Well, you need the best ways to help you save money during the coldest months of the year. Here are some useful tips to consider. 1. Weatherstrip Your Doors And Windows Are you looking for ways to reduce your electricity usage during winter? Well, you can start by sealing out the drafts in your doors and windows since they may be leaking out a lot of heat. You can do this effortlessly by installing weatherstripping around your doors and windows. On the other hand, door sweeps will seal the space between the bottom part of your door and the door frame. Additionally, you can use draft stoppers that will provide some type of protection from the cold. 2. Get A Smart Thermostat Installing a smart thermostat in your home is a sure way of saving electricity during winter. You will be able to optimize and fine-tune when your furnace runs. For instance, when you go to sleep or step out of the house, you can program the thermostat to turn down. Additionally, you can set it to warm up right before you get back home. You don’t have to sacrifice your comfort to reduce your electricity bill during the winter seasons. 3. Close The Damper When Not Using The Fireplace At the end of a cold winter day, you may want to relax in front of your warm fireplace. However, it’s most likely that the heat may escape up to the chimney if you fail to close the damper. Well, you can reduce your electricity bills during winter by installing an efficient fireplace. Additionally, you need to switch from wood to gas fireplaces. Install a glass screen to make your fireplace energy efficient. The glass screen radiates the heat from the fire thereby preventing warm air from getting out of the fireplace through the chimney. 4. Annual Inspection For Your Heating System You need to schedule an annual inspection for your heating system to ensure it is properly cleaned and running efficiently. Visit Corgihomecare for different cover options. It’s the best way to catch problems early and prevent discomfort, inconvenience, and costly breakdowns during the cold months. Annual inspections will increase the lifespan of your system and reduce your electric bills during winter. If your heating system is running efficiently, it will not work excessively to keep the home warm. Looking for a full-service heating team before winter arrives is important, they can get backed up once the cold weather sets in – so be sure to get it scheduled before winter weather hits! 5. Don’t Block The Air Vents Your furnace is working harder than necessary if there is furniture or drapes blocking the heating vents. If they are blocked, there is increased air pressure in the ductwork that might lead to leaks and cracks. Clear the vents to ensure that every room in the house is getting proper circulation and your system is working as designed. If there is any piece of furniture blocking the vent, you can install an affordable extender to direct the air out of the room. 6. Check The Insulation In Your House Proper insulation is a sure way to reduce your electricity bill during the cold months. Start by adding more insulation to your attic to increase the heat in your living areas. Check the area around the electrical outlets to make sure it’s properly insulated too. Pay attention to the plumbing to ensure heat is not escaping and prevent frozen pipes during the cold months. 7. Adjust Your Water Heater Temperature Did you know that you may be wasting a lot of unnecessary energy with your water heater? Most of the water heaters in the market are energy efficient so you will end up saving more money. Most people set their temperature at 120 degrees to have enough hot water. You can save more money by adding a hot water heater blanket. It is a layer of insulation on the hot water tank that keeps in the heat preventing your heating element from running often. 8. Only Wash/Dry Full Loads Of Laundry Whenever possible always run full loads of laundry. Small, partial loads of laundry will use too much energy and water. Only run the machine when you have a full load of laundry. It’s a sure way to run the washer and dryer less and reduce your usage of hot water to increase your savings. 9. Insulate Your Pipes The pipes delivering hot water to showers, faucets, and appliances around your house may be bleeding energy. Depending on how far the water is traveling, you could end up losing a considerable amount of heat. You can add insulation to the hot water pipes to increase the temperature of the water. On the other hand, you don’t have to run the water for a long time, so you will not end up waiting too long for your shower to come on. 10. Turn Off The Holiday Lights Using A Timer Don’t leave the holiday lights on during the night. You may not be up to going out at night to turn them off. However, if you set up smart plugs to set up your holiday lights, you can turn them off at specific intervals and reduce the wastage of energy during the holidays. Share on FacebookTweetFollow usSave Finance For the Home air ventsannual inspectionenergy billenergy efficiencyfull loadsheating systeminsulationlaundrysave moneywater heater
I love the idea of installing a smart thermostat. But be careful when setting a lower temperature when you’re sleeping or away – too low a temperature on cold winter days may cause frozen pipes. Keep your thermostat set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
Good recommendations! Remember that some air filters can also contribute to increased heating bills. Any air filter with a MERV rating higher than 13 will restrict airflow, which could make your HVAC system work harder and consume more energy. In general, the best MERV rating for a home is somewhere between 8-10. These filters will capture a large portion of the airborne particles and improve indoor air quality without increasing energy costs.
Also, if your furnace is more than 20 years old, you should strongly consider replacement. As furnaces age, they consume more energy, and this aging effect only compounds when you don’t properly maintain your furnace. The increase in energy efficiency of your heating system alone can save you hundreds of dollars per year in energy.
Good recommendations! You may also want to consider replacing your furnace. If your furnace is an older model – 20 years or more, upgrading to a high-efficiency oil-fired furnace will save you a large sum on your monthly heating costs. AFUE rating – this is what you need to pay attention to when choosing a furnace for your home. The higher the AFUE rating, the more economical the furnace.
Good recommendations. Thank you!! Insulating the pipes attached to your water heater is another thing you should do. It is one of the easiest ways to cut costs associated with heating water in your home and preventing frozen pipes. When your pipes are exposed, they have to work much harder to maintain heat and provide hot water. Also, check anything near your water heater that could cause a draft, such as open windows, doors, and crawl spaces.
Insulating pipes is good advice. In addition to saving you money on heating, it prevents pipes from freezing. Frozen pipes are a severe problem that may require expensive repairs and even pipe replacement.
Thank you for sharing such valuable information! I want to add that you also should check your furnace filter every month, and wait no more than 3 months before replacing it. With washable and reusable filters, follow the same practice, checking it monthly and cleaning per manufacturer specifications. Keeping your furnace air filter clean allows the unit to run efficiently and that translates to an energy cost savings from 5% to 15%!