The signs of winter are already beginning to appear. The clocks have turned back, sundown comes sooner, and bright-colored leaves pile up alongside of neighborhood streets—all signals that its time to brush the dust off of your home’s heater and start cleaning out the fireplace.
For children (and plenty of grownups too), winter is an exciting season full of good family food, ski trips, and Christmas gifts. However, homeowners know all-too-well that the turn in weather also heralds the steep cost of heating.
If you want to avoid becoming a Grinch during the upcoming winter festivities whenever you look at your energy bill, check out these five cheap and simple tips on how to keep your home warm and cozy for less.
#5. Get an Energy Audit
There are countless hidden ways heat can escape from a home and drive up the energy bill substantially. To fully know what changes you can make to maximize your home’s heating efficiency, get a professional energy audit. You can easily find plenty of Atlanta-based heat & A/C companies that will provide a comprehensive assessment of your family’s energy habits and usage, in addition to checking thoroughly for weaknesses in your home’s heating system.
#4. Turn Down the Thermostat
It can be tempting to crank on the heat when it’s cold outside, but even just keeping your home a couple degrees cooler can make a dramatic difference on your energy bill, while still keeping you and your family comfortable. A commonly agreed upon temperature is 68 degrees during the day. While 68 may seem chilly to some, you can always wear a cozy sweater or a pair of comfortable socks to stay warm.
#3. Insulate, Insulate, Insulate
Just as you insulate yourself by adding on clothing layers to stay warm, improving the insulation in your home will have the same affect. Good insulation soaks in heat and keeps your home warm longer, whereas poor insulation lets heat escape and makes your furnace work harder.
#2. Use Those Ceiling Fans
It seems backwards to turn on a ceiling fan when you want to get warm, but that’s exactly what you should do to circulate trapped heat throughout a room. By simply reversing the direction of the blades, you can help your heater keep the room at a comfortable temperature and lower your thermometer by a few degrees.
#1. Give Your Vents Some Space
A heating vent can’t do much good with a sofa pushed right up against it. Go through your home and move all furniture and belongings away from your vents. This is a valuable tip for making sure you’re getting all the heat you are paying for (not to mention one of the easiest!).
Taking care of your home heating system may be especially important this year. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts this winter (2013-2014) will be “colder and drier than normal, with above-normal snowfall” in much of the Atlanta region.
With winter weather forecast like this, it’s highly advised that homeowners get their furnace professionally inspected. Be proactive and make an appointment with metro-Atlanta heating experts at Gagne A/C.
Call us today at (678) 221-4328 to schedule a heating inspection.