In celebration of the Freeze Your Buns Challenge, here are 10 tips to save on heating!
1) Lower your water heater setting
You can usually turn it down to about 120 degrees without noticing a difference.
2) Lower your thermostat
For every degree you turn it down you will save around 3% of your bill. If you like it warm, turn it down before you leave the house and turn it back up again when you get home.
3) Use free solar energy
Open the shades/drapes of the windows that face the sun. Close the drapes that don’t.
4) Cover your water pipelines
Foam covers are sold at Home Depot, Ace, and other home improvement stores. They are pre-cut and ready to go – all you do is slip them around the pipe. Easy, and they help your water stay hot
5) Use a programmable thermostat
You can program a programmable thermostat
6) Change your air filter
This will cost around $5 and it will save 3-10% on your heating bill.
7) Seal leaks
If your door seeps air than add a sweep, if your window frame leaks than caulk it. Wherever you feel a draft, try to close it up.
8) Clear your heating vents
If items are placed over or in front of the heating vent it restricts the air flow and causes your heater to work harder.
9) Do not overuse the bathroom and kitchen fans
These fans are designed to expel air to the outside at a super fast rate. Only use them when you need to.
10) Check your windows
If you can afford the super insulated ones then go with that. They will increase the value of your house and save money on your bill. If you do not have newer insulated windows then make sure any spaces on your current windows are patched/caulked and you can also apply a thin layer of plastic. Many stores sell plastic kits that stick to the frame of the window. They usually cost less than $5 (Amazon has a 5 window kit
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
One of the newer technologies I think is pretty cool is the the programmable thermostats mentioned above. If you use it for a few years the savings can really add up.
we just installed a Nest thermostat – both programmable and “learning” so it will program itself based on my habits. It has saved us a lot of money so far.
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You’re spot on Donald. My folks use it too and are always nagging me to make the same investment. 🙂
Thank you for these energy saving tips! I think it would also help to use wood burning sources of heat when looking for a heater as wood is less expensive than electricity. 🙂
when we were house-hunting we saw a few houses that were only heated with a wood stove.
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Best option is to use solar energy i know putting the solar panel system so how costly but its an life time investment for an energy and compare to your electrical bill its affordable as what i think.
Window glazing is a very good idea. It will help you with the insulation as well as it minimizes sound from outside. This will truly help you in saving money. Thanks for the great article.
Solar Energy is a very good source of Clean Electricity. Also is very important to check your window to avoid filtrations.
Joe Q recently posted..Discount Window Blinds in Anaheim
Great tips of advice! It’s amazing how solar energy can heat up an entire space with pretty much no effort. Plus, it saves you money and protects the environment. That’s a win win situation in my book! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, some really useful tips on saving money and energy. I really think solar panels for your home are the way forward in reducing your utility bills. Trouble is they are still expensive to get fitted. It’s a lot cheaper to DIY it with pre made kits from the likes of Amazon.com etc.. You just need to be a little techie 🙂
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One of the newer technologies I think is pretty cool is the the programmable thermostats mentioned above. If you use it for a few years the savings can really add up.
Hi,
The use of solar powered water heater can definitely reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources, thus you are making the world a better place to live.
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Saving on heating? this is so great! and the steps are really easy to follow and maintain.. great job on finding and compiling this tips…
You can really save so much by following all of these tips. You should also check your doors for possible air access. Minimizing air access to the room can cause the heater or even a cooler to maintain a certain temperature for longer hours which can save you more.
Nice post!
Great tip Nancy, thanks 🙂
Another excellent source of environmentally friendly ways to save on energy is foam insulation panels. When we renovated our home that’s what we used instead of regular insulation bats. The results are just brilliant!
I think solar lights and panels are the best way for which homeowners and consumers will be able to save on heating and electricity.
Thanks, some really useful tips on saving money and energy. I really think solar panels for your home are the way forward in reducing your utility bills. Trouble is they are still expensive to get fitted. It’s a lot cheaper to DIY it with pre made kits from the likes of Amazon.com etc.. You just need to be a little techie