More Energy Savers

Kim · **More Energy Savers**

Brrr.... it's getting cold outside!! What are the quickest and easiest ways to save money on your heating bill this winter? I saw the thread about buying a programmable thermostat. That's a great idea. What else do you do to save on your heating bill?

touchofcarolina · 10-31-2007, 10:38 AM

Cover the windows with the plastic wrap. Wear more clothes and bundle up. I also try to turn a lamp on about 10 minutes to take the chill out of my room before I go back to get undressed for bed. This works better than having the thermostat set high, when you really don't need it. I also like to use the crockpot and oven more....although I would love to see the statistic about evergy savings....if you have gas heat, it might help since I heard natural gas has hit an "all time high" this season. Don't they say that every year?

Cookie2 · 10-31-2007, 10:42 AM

Instead of raising the temperature on the furnace, run the furnace fan. This evens out the temperature in the house and eliminated cold spots - making the whole house feel more comfortable. If you don't have a forced air furnace, ceiling fans can help.

Last winter I did an experiment with our heating bill. If I set the thermostat to one temperature and kept it there, except if we were going away for an extended period of time (vacation), our bill was no different than if we allowed the pre-set thermostat to lower the temperature during the night and during the afternoon. My theory is, because 1/2 our house is basement, the furnace has to heat up the walls (a big thermal mass) so it tends to run more everytime we let them get cold. Keeping the temperature at the same setting kept the walls heated up and the whole house was more comfortable.

Happymom · 10-31-2007, 04:41 PM

Our basement does not really have heat, so we bought some portable electic fireplaces on clearance. We keep them running downstairs when it is cold out. It warms the entire house up to have the basement warm, then we can turn down the thermostat. We also do the plastic on the windows and weather stripping the doors and towel under the doors, etc.

LJGZsmom · 11-01-2007, 01:37 PM

Our house is older and the heat upstairs (where all the bedrooms are) is not very good at all. So at night we turn the thermostat way down (like 60 since no one is downstairs to feel it anyway) and run one space heater (only at night) in our bedroom and one in the hall between the two kids' bedrooms. Everyone sleeps with an extra blanket and very warm jammies. I have also (kinda silly but works) put a heating pad in between my sheets for 15minutes before getting into bed. Helps warm the bed so I don't get into a cold bed!

During the day we turn the thermostat up to only 68 degrees. Everyone dresses warm and wears slippers (a fight for the kids sometimes though). When we are laying around watching tv we use blankets. The kids and I LOVE hot cocoa and hot apple cider so we drink alot of that. And meals are always hot! Hot cereal or something cooked for breakfast, soup or pot pies for lunch, and of course dinner is hot.

We have never done the plastic over the windows but decided to do that this year. Especially since the heat is such an issue upstairs, I am anxious to see how it helps.

skimommy · 11-01-2007, 01:42 PM

We burn our woodstove. It keeps the entire house toasty.

kikisian · 11-02-2007, 03:49 AM

Warm clothes, and extra blankets on the bed. And we normally always have soup for lunch.

katjer1230 · 11-08-2007, 11:25 AM

This might sound silly but what type of plastic do you use? Saran wrap,grocery bags, plastic from the hardware store?

Great tips!!

lovemy2boys · 11-08-2007, 01:30 PM

My guess is they are talking about the special type of insulator palstic that you can get at Home Depot. It is specifically cut to size for windows, patio doors, etc., and you use a hair dryer to warm and stretch the plastic to custom fit your window.. this is how we used to do it anyway!

momof2boys · 11-08-2007, 01:44 PM

Yes, they sell the plastic for windows just about everywhere! We only use on 1 problem window. Weather stripping about the windows work well too. We got it last year fairly cheap from Big Lots. today I am freezing we should of put in our storm windows last weekend but instead played out of the house.