Don’t be left out in the cold! Use these heating tips to keep your house warm this winter without breaking your budget.
- Dust your vents
This can be an easy, effective way for lowering your heating bills. Dust acts as a natural insulator and can block some of the hot air from heating your home. - Lower your thermostat
The Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter for maximum energy savings. For every degree you turn it down over an 8-hour period throughout the month, you can shave one percent off your heating bill. A programmable thermostat can do the job for you so you don’t have to remember to turn it down. - Use zone heating
If you live in a large home, keep the lesser-used areas just warm enough to prevent pipes from freezing. Close some of the vents in these rooms and shut the door to keep that heat in. On the flip side, open the doors of the rooms that see heavy use so hot air can flow evenly throughout the house. - Rearrange your furniture
Check if you have any furniture situated near your heating vents. You don’t want to be paying for hot air to be flowing into the underside of your living room sofa. - Let the sunshine in
The winter sun can give you hours of free solar heat each day — if you let it in. Be sure to open the curtains in the early morning hours and close them at night to keep that warm air inside. You also may want to swap your curtains for thicker, insulated ones in the winter for further protection against the cold night air. - Humidify your air
Use humidity to your advantage by investing in a humidifier for the winter. Moisture helps to hold onto heat and will keep the air warmer longer.
