Reduce the cost of heating homes is definitely an energy-efficient way to save money. But according to experts, more expensive heat your home this year. Heating bills will increase by 20 percent for heating oil customers, 15 percent for natural gas customers, 13 percent for customers of propane and 5 percent for electric customers.
No matter what you use fuel, heat your home this winter will be worth more. So, this is a good time to take stock of the project that can really help you save cold, hard cash by reducing home heating costs. This is where to start:
Clock set-back thermostat. Want to keep the heat at night but avoid waking up to a cold house in the morning? Clock thermostat set lower heat recovery feature is automatically at night while you sleep, and then raise them in the morning. It's smart to store heat thermostat, save money, and still provide warmth and comfort when you need it.
You can get the thermostat hours in any home improvement center and they can be installed easily in less than an hour. There are even models available that have a few on / off cycles. For example, you can set the thermostat heat once a week, and another on weekends when you sleep.
If you have a setback thermostat, move it two degrees lower than you normally do in the winter and raise it two degrees in the summer. Doing so can cut your annual heating AND cooling bills by over 10%!
Protect your water heater. Insulating your water heater is a quick project that cost only a few dollars. The water heater heat loss through the shell them out. For about ten bucks, you can buy a water heater jacket or blanket that makes the heat from escaping. They are easy to install, and can save you hundreds of dollars on your energy bill during the heating.
Another good tip is to resist the temperature setting on your water heater to 120 degrees safely but efficiently instead of potentially scalding 140 degrees most of the water heater is set at. If you have an electric water heater, you also can cut the cost in half by installing a timer running. Electric water heaters are the most expensive way to generate hot water and a timer allows hot water only when needed, such as for your morning shower. Rest of the day turns the heater off - saves a lot of energy dollars and reduce home heating costs.
Examination of attic insulation. You can increase the comfort of your home while reducing the cost of home heating and cooling needs by up to 30 percent by investing just a few hundred dollars in proper insulation and weatherization products. To find out whether your home has insulation standard sizes up to now, a ruler in your attic. In most of the cool climate, you need at least 12 inches of batt or blown insulation in your attic between the ceiling to keep the heat in the house your home. The house although some years are more likely to have inadequate insulation.
Although insulation can be made of various materials, usually four types of batts, rolls, loose-fill and rigid foam board. Each type is made to fit the different parts of your home. Fiberglass batts and roll very well for the new construction of the walls and ceilings, and attics and crawlspaces to an existing home. Blown-in insulation, fiberglass or cellulose (paper products coated with flame retardants) may be used in an existing attic or walls.
While you are in your attic, check the draft - this is the place you want! Good attic ventilation is the key to keep the insulation from getting wet from condensation winter. Because isolation even slightly moist lost a third of its ability to protect, well-ventilated attic is important. By reducing moisture, insulation is more effective and leave you with a warm home, help reduce home heating costs.
Heating system maintenance. Did you know that performance enhancers can make your home more efficiently while reducing the cost of home heating? No we are not talking about steroids or nutritional supplements, we are talking about maintenance!
Services - Have your heating system serviced annually. Each gas goes, electric or propane furnace, leaving the deposit back burner combustion and heat exchanger. These deposits must be cleared or the system will not run well and can even be dangerous. Remember, that you need to run the furnace to heat your home, the more you spend the fuel. Get it serviced and save money.
Filter - Replace the air filter from your furnace before the heating season begins and monthly moments. A dirty filter will reduce air flow which makes your system work harder to circulate air to the registers. Also, if the filter is inserted through a slot in the back channel, covering the filter slot with a piece of wide tape to keep the air from getting around the filter edges without passing through the filter.
Duct Sealing - Get all your channels in a row with Rob repairing leaky duct hot air. To check your channel for air emissions, looking for parts to be joined but separated or a place called the dry duct tape and fell. Do not use duct tape to fix and close the channel you! Instead, look for UL 181 tape. This kind of looks like silver foil tape and do not degrade, crack or lose the bond with heat and age.
Upgrade - Has there ever been a better time or a better reason to replace an old furnace or waste fuel boiler furnace Energy Star model level. If the furnace or boiler more than 15 years, ENERGY STAR qualified appliances can save on energy bills, reduce home heating costs. New equipment has advanced technology to deliver higher efficiency and provide the greatest savings.
Seal drafts. Its outer walls of your home like Swiss cheese. Each "hole" to switch windows, doors, outlets or light, the source of air leakage. Sealing the hole from the inside to prevent severe draft and loss of energy, and reduce the cost of home heating.
Caulk window moldings where they meet the exterior wall. Use acrylic latex caulk because it spreads easily and can be cleaned with water. A better approach would squirt a thin bead caulk at the junction of the wall and the molding, and then use your fingers to spread the caulk seams. Next, use a sponge and warm water to remove excess caulk and caulk finished spread. Do not forget to caulk under the sill like. The area is very leaky and a good job sealing is essential.
When you're done outside, caulk around the inside of the door and window moldings. It helps to trap any excess air that gets cold exterior wall cavities. Next, look at the time of peeling exterior of the door. If the weather stripping worn or cracked, replace them. Also check the door in the bottom of the door. When closed, you do not have to see the light coming through the door.
Wall openings around outlets and switches can also let a blast of cold air in your home. Home centers and electrical supply houses sell special gasket to keep drafts to a minimum. To install, remove the outlet or lampshades. Gasket, with openings to fit through the outlet or switch, then placed between the device and the metal cover plate. Be sure to turn on the power before installing the gasket to prevent electric shock.
More tricks and tips to lower the cost of home heating
Fans - Do you use your ceiling fan in the winter? You must set your ceiling fan to turn clockwise to move the warm air rises, up to your room during the winter. When the weather heats up, set the fan to turn counter-clockwise for easy cooling. There is also a new product on the market that works well for both heating and cooling seasons. This is called the Reiker Room conditioner and ceiling fans with built-in heater that cost only about 5 cents per hour to operate.
Silk - Keep curtains and shades on south-facing windows open during the heating to allow sunlight to enter your home, close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
Lighting - lighting your home may be dimming your finances, such as lighting energy accounts for about 10 percent of your electric bill. Overhead lighting with traditional incandescent bulbs are a great power drain, so check your equipment to see what each lamp. You may have 100 watt bulbs where 60 or 75 watts is enough. And, consider Energy Star rated compact fluorescent lamps or halogen lamps to reduce energy use, but provides plenty of light. Also, make sure you completely turn off the stereo systems and computers when not in use, continue to use energy even when idle.
Online - For more information, an informative Energy $ avers guidelines for easy ways to improve the energy efficiency of homes available through the Department of Energy or online at www.energysavers.gov.
Bottom line, the energy efficiency of your home is easy to reach in a few simple steps. Reducing heating costs in your home will save you a bundle, and all you need to complete your project are available in the center of your home environment.
No matter what you use fuel, heat your home this winter will be worth more. So, this is a good time to take stock of the project that can really help you save cold, hard cash by reducing home heating costs. This is where to start:
Clock set-back thermostat. Want to keep the heat at night but avoid waking up to a cold house in the morning? Clock thermostat set lower heat recovery feature is automatically at night while you sleep, and then raise them in the morning. It's smart to store heat thermostat, save money, and still provide warmth and comfort when you need it.
You can get the thermostat hours in any home improvement center and they can be installed easily in less than an hour. There are even models available that have a few on / off cycles. For example, you can set the thermostat heat once a week, and another on weekends when you sleep.
If you have a setback thermostat, move it two degrees lower than you normally do in the winter and raise it two degrees in the summer. Doing so can cut your annual heating AND cooling bills by over 10%!
Protect your water heater. Insulating your water heater is a quick project that cost only a few dollars. The water heater heat loss through the shell them out. For about ten bucks, you can buy a water heater jacket or blanket that makes the heat from escaping. They are easy to install, and can save you hundreds of dollars on your energy bill during the heating.
Another good tip is to resist the temperature setting on your water heater to 120 degrees safely but efficiently instead of potentially scalding 140 degrees most of the water heater is set at. If you have an electric water heater, you also can cut the cost in half by installing a timer running. Electric water heaters are the most expensive way to generate hot water and a timer allows hot water only when needed, such as for your morning shower. Rest of the day turns the heater off - saves a lot of energy dollars and reduce home heating costs.
Examination of attic insulation. You can increase the comfort of your home while reducing the cost of home heating and cooling needs by up to 30 percent by investing just a few hundred dollars in proper insulation and weatherization products. To find out whether your home has insulation standard sizes up to now, a ruler in your attic. In most of the cool climate, you need at least 12 inches of batt or blown insulation in your attic between the ceiling to keep the heat in the house your home. The house although some years are more likely to have inadequate insulation.
Although insulation can be made of various materials, usually four types of batts, rolls, loose-fill and rigid foam board. Each type is made to fit the different parts of your home. Fiberglass batts and roll very well for the new construction of the walls and ceilings, and attics and crawlspaces to an existing home. Blown-in insulation, fiberglass or cellulose (paper products coated with flame retardants) may be used in an existing attic or walls.
While you are in your attic, check the draft - this is the place you want! Good attic ventilation is the key to keep the insulation from getting wet from condensation winter. Because isolation even slightly moist lost a third of its ability to protect, well-ventilated attic is important. By reducing moisture, insulation is more effective and leave you with a warm home, help reduce home heating costs.
Heating system maintenance. Did you know that performance enhancers can make your home more efficiently while reducing the cost of home heating? No we are not talking about steroids or nutritional supplements, we are talking about maintenance!
Services - Have your heating system serviced annually. Each gas goes, electric or propane furnace, leaving the deposit back burner combustion and heat exchanger. These deposits must be cleared or the system will not run well and can even be dangerous. Remember, that you need to run the furnace to heat your home, the more you spend the fuel. Get it serviced and save money.
Filter - Replace the air filter from your furnace before the heating season begins and monthly moments. A dirty filter will reduce air flow which makes your system work harder to circulate air to the registers. Also, if the filter is inserted through a slot in the back channel, covering the filter slot with a piece of wide tape to keep the air from getting around the filter edges without passing through the filter.
Duct Sealing - Get all your channels in a row with Rob repairing leaky duct hot air. To check your channel for air emissions, looking for parts to be joined but separated or a place called the dry duct tape and fell. Do not use duct tape to fix and close the channel you! Instead, look for UL 181 tape. This kind of looks like silver foil tape and do not degrade, crack or lose the bond with heat and age.
Upgrade - Has there ever been a better time or a better reason to replace an old furnace or waste fuel boiler furnace Energy Star model level. If the furnace or boiler more than 15 years, ENERGY STAR qualified appliances can save on energy bills, reduce home heating costs. New equipment has advanced technology to deliver higher efficiency and provide the greatest savings.
Seal drafts. Its outer walls of your home like Swiss cheese. Each "hole" to switch windows, doors, outlets or light, the source of air leakage. Sealing the hole from the inside to prevent severe draft and loss of energy, and reduce the cost of home heating.
Caulk window moldings where they meet the exterior wall. Use acrylic latex caulk because it spreads easily and can be cleaned with water. A better approach would squirt a thin bead caulk at the junction of the wall and the molding, and then use your fingers to spread the caulk seams. Next, use a sponge and warm water to remove excess caulk and caulk finished spread. Do not forget to caulk under the sill like. The area is very leaky and a good job sealing is essential.
When you're done outside, caulk around the inside of the door and window moldings. It helps to trap any excess air that gets cold exterior wall cavities. Next, look at the time of peeling exterior of the door. If the weather stripping worn or cracked, replace them. Also check the door in the bottom of the door. When closed, you do not have to see the light coming through the door.
Wall openings around outlets and switches can also let a blast of cold air in your home. Home centers and electrical supply houses sell special gasket to keep drafts to a minimum. To install, remove the outlet or lampshades. Gasket, with openings to fit through the outlet or switch, then placed between the device and the metal cover plate. Be sure to turn on the power before installing the gasket to prevent electric shock.
More tricks and tips to lower the cost of home heating
Fans - Do you use your ceiling fan in the winter? You must set your ceiling fan to turn clockwise to move the warm air rises, up to your room during the winter. When the weather heats up, set the fan to turn counter-clockwise for easy cooling. There is also a new product on the market that works well for both heating and cooling seasons. This is called the Reiker Room conditioner and ceiling fans with built-in heater that cost only about 5 cents per hour to operate.
Silk - Keep curtains and shades on south-facing windows open during the heating to allow sunlight to enter your home, close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
Lighting - lighting your home may be dimming your finances, such as lighting energy accounts for about 10 percent of your electric bill. Overhead lighting with traditional incandescent bulbs are a great power drain, so check your equipment to see what each lamp. You may have 100 watt bulbs where 60 or 75 watts is enough. And, consider Energy Star rated compact fluorescent lamps or halogen lamps to reduce energy use, but provides plenty of light. Also, make sure you completely turn off the stereo systems and computers when not in use, continue to use energy even when idle.
Online - For more information, an informative Energy $ avers guidelines for easy ways to improve the energy efficiency of homes available through the Department of Energy or online at www.energysavers.gov.
Bottom line, the energy efficiency of your home is easy to reach in a few simple steps. Reducing heating costs in your home will save you a bundle, and all you need to complete your project are available in the center of your home environment.
