Ways to Save Money on Your Heating Bill This Winter

 

Extra cold winter mean extra large heating bills.  Here are some simple tips to keep your heating bill down this winter.

1. Get a digital thermostat.  Those old-school rotary thermostats are not as accurate as the digital thermostats.  That's important because if your set temperature is accurate, your furnace won't click on when it's not needed.
2. Keep your thermostat temperature the same. Turning your temperature up and down throughout the day makes your heater works harder and uses more electricity.
3. Turn the heat down at night.  Invest in some heavy quilts and turn your temperature down a few degrees at night.  Those 10 hours or so every night can really save money throughout the month.
4. Regularly change your furnace filter.  It makes your furnace run much more efficiently.
5. Turn your hot water heater temperature down.  Your hot water doesn't have to be heated to scalding hot.  Turning it down saves money and also prevents accidental burns.
6. Run a full dishwasher.  Don't run your dishwasher unless it's full.  Wash what you can in the sink to save money.
7. Wash your clothes on cold.  Unless you are washing towels, dishcloths, or rags, it's ok to wash your clothes in cold water.
8. Make sure your home in insulated.  Heat rises so make sure it doesn't escape through your attic by making sure it's insulated.  Check the caulking around your windows and seal drafts under and around doors.
9. Use an energy efficient heater for small spaces.  If the entire family is hanging out in one room for the evening, no reason to heat the entire house.  Invest is a small energy efficient space heater to heat one room.
10. Keep your doors shut in unused rooms.  Offices, pantries, and guest room doors should stay closed. That will help keep the heat in the rooms you use.
11. Crack your oven after you use it.  Don't let all of that good heat go to waste.  Crack your oven open when it's warm to continue heating your kitchen.
12. Keep your curtains and blinds up during sunny days.  Closing your curtains and blinds at night or on cloudy days can help keep heat from escaping.  Keeping them open when it's sunny out will help bring heat into the house, especially if your windows are facing south.
13. Keep the flue shut on your fireplace when you aren't using it. It will keep out drafts  Just make sure to open it again when need to use it.

Also, check out 10 Things You Should Buy to Save Money.

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