|
|
|
Reducing Heating Bills
Seven Ways to Reduce Heating Bills this Winter
By Mark J. Donovan
|
|
With the cost of energy so high now days, it’s important to
maximize efforts in reducing heating bills. Whether you’re heating with oil,
gas, or electricity, your home heating bills can become exorbitantly high
during the winter season. For many folks they simply cannot afford to heat
their homes adequately and find themselves looking for public assistance in
the form of reduced fuel costs. Seeking government heating assistance,
however, is not the only solution to staying warm this winter.
Homeowners can take a number of steps to keep their home warmer during the
winter months, that won’t cost them a fortune.
|
Some involve investing in low
cost insulation materials, while others simply involve doing things a bit
differently. Both, however, can go a long way in reducing heating bills.
First and foremost inspect around doors and windows for drafts. If you feel any,
purchase door and window weatherstripping and install it appropriately around
the doors and windows to eliminate the drafts. Door and window weather stripping
costs only a few dollars and requires virtually no handyman skills to install.
So there are no excuses!
In addition to installing door and window weatherstripping also apply caulk
around the exterior of the door and window frames. Again, caulk only costs a few
dollars and even the most unskilled DIY homeowner can apply it. Just have plenty
of wet paper towels handy to wipe away excess caulk. These two basic tasks by
themselves can go a long way in reducing heating bills.
|
|
Another major culprit in home heating loss is attic stairs. Attic stairs are
notorious for letting warm moist air up into the attic, and in the process
causing cold drafts in the home. Not only does this situation lead to higher
home heating costs, it also leads to the formation of ice dams and moisture
related issues in the attic (e.g. mold and mildew growth). Warm moist air in the
attic heats the back of the roof sheathing which melts roof snow that inevitably
forms ice dams near the roof eaves.
|
In addition, as the warm moist air condenses in the cold attic air it forms as
small water droplets on the roof sheathing. So make sure the attic stairs are
air tight. There are insulation covers specifically designed to go over attic
stairs to prevent heat loss to the attic and consequently reduce heating bills.
If your home has a fireplace make sure that the damper is tightly closed when
not using it. Fireplaces are notorious for sucking warm air out of a home. By
itself, a damper left continuously open can raise home heating bills 30%. Also,
consider buying sealed glass fireplace doors to help cut down on the chimney
sucking warm air out of the home and for preventing cold down drafts. Fireplaces
are notoriously energy inefficient for heating. Even when using a fireplace the
chimney often sucks more heat up it than the fireplaces produces in the home.
Consequently you may want to consider not using the fireplace during the winter
or alternatively replacing it with a wood stove insert.
Finally, dryer vents are another notorious heat loss culprit. The typical low
cost dryer vent relies on gravity to keep cold air from penetrating into the
dryer and home. However, the dryer vent louvers are notoriously cheap and are
prone to not closing properly due to lint build up. A simple solution for
reducing heating bills associated with drafty drier vents is to install a dryer
vent seal. A dryer vent seal will eliminate cold air drafts, as well as prevent
insects and rodents from finding a way into your home.
For information on maximizing your
wood stove’s home heating efficiency see
the “Installation
of Hood over Wood Stove Ebook”.
|
Find a Qualified HVAC Contractor in Your Area |
|
Get Free Quotes. Easy, Quick and No
Obligations!
For the home improvement or home remodeling project that is
too big for you, check out our partner
NeedContractor. They are a national
resource for finding pre-screened, insured, and licensed home improvement and remodeling contractors in your local area.
|
|
|
Get Matched in 48 hours with Home Heating
Contractors! |
Related Articles
Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces
and Stoves from Amazon.com
|
|
|
