Heating My Home is Expensive. How Can I Save on Heating Costs?
Have you taken a look at your home heating bill lately and been shocked at the numbers you see? You’re not alone.
Heating your home can be expensive, especially during the coldest time of year, winter. If you feel you’re spending too much money to heat your home, you’re not alone. Luckily, there are ways you can save money.
Here are five simple days to save on your home heating costs.
- Lower Your Thermostat
When I was a kid, my dad didn’t want anyone to touch the thermostat, otherwise, we’d be in big trouble and there’s a good reason why. Lowering your thermostat is a simple way to save big bucks on your home heating bill. By lowering it even a degree or two, the savings add up. But being cold at home is no fun. By bundling up with an extra warm sweater, you can be comfortable at home and enjoy the extra cost savings.
(On extra cold days you might want to crank up the temperate a bit. It’s not worth saving money on your home heating bill, only to have your pipes burst from the cold weather.)
- Install a Smart or Programmable Thermostat
If you don’t already have one, install a smart or programmable thermostat pronto. Both of these make controlling the temperature in your home (even when you’re not there) a breeze. A smart thermostat lets you adjust the temperate in your home remotely from your computer or smartphone, so you don’t have to. Program the heat so it heats up in the morning and evening when you’re home and cools down during the day when you’re at work and at night when you’re sleeping. A smart or programmable thermostat can literally pay for itself in the first month, making it a no brainer.
And be sure to install a thermostat in Celsius or Fahrenheit, whichever you’re most comfortable with. At home my parents installed a thermostat with Fahrenheit. I didn’t understand Fahrenheit (and I still don’t), so I’m sure the heat was cranked up too high because I simply didn’t know the Celsius equivalent.
- Change Your Air Filter
Although this may seem obvious, don’t forget to change your furnace air filters, especially during the winter months. By changing the air filters, it will help hot air flow more easily through the vents to keep you toasty warm. It will also increase the life of your furnace.
It’s a good idea to change your air filter every couple months during wintertime. It’s tough to remember to something like that, so do what I do and set a reminder in your calendar or smartphone.
Also, make sure you’re installing the furnace air filter the right way. The arrows on your furnace filter should go towards the furnace.
- Let the Sun Heat Your Home
Is it a sunny day outside? Instead of leaving your curtains closed, open them up. Not only will it make you feel more upbeat, it will help you save on your home heating bill. Using the sun to heat your home is one of the most cost effective ways since it’s free. To maximize the heat of the sun, keep your curtains open during the day and closed at night to keep in the warmth.
- Mind the Gaps
Do you notice cold air coming inside your home? By weather stripping doors, you can save money on your heating bill by keeping more of the warm air inside your home where it belongs. (Don’t worry; you don’t have to be super handy around the house to do this.)
Not sure how to install weather stripping? There are plenty of helpful videos on YouTube to show you how. Weather stripping your home won’t take a lot of time and it’ll save you a lot of money. What’s not to love?
Written by Sean Cooper
Sean Cooper is the bestselling author of the book, Burn Your Mortgage: The Simple, Powerful Path to Financial Freedom for Canadians. He bought his first house when he was only 27 in Toronto and paid off his mortgage in just 3 years by age 30. Sean’s helping others burn their mortgage, too, as an independent mortgage broker. For an unbiased second opinion on your mortgage, email SeanCooperWriter@gmail.com or call 647-867-3711.
