Saving money on your heating bills can be tough. As much as you may want to avoid keeping your furnace on all the time, some days are just too cold to go without heat in your home. Fortunately, there are ways that Smith & Willis can help save you money on your monthly heating bill, and they aren’t as difficult as you might think.
Using a Programmable Thermostat
It’s been said that heating and cooling accounts for 42 percent of home energy costs, and much of that is because people end up heating or cooling unused spaces. They also tend to turn their thermostats up too high on cold days hoping their home will reach the desired temperature faster. Both of these practices can cause your heating bills to skyrocket, and they can be avoided with a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat will keep your home at a temperature that is both comfortable and energy-efficient, and it can lower the temperature in your home when nobody is around.
Keep in mind that installing a programmable thermostat won’t instantly lead to lower heating bills; you will still need to program your new thermostat and make sure it’s set at the most energy-efficient temperatures. As long as you use your programmable thermostat properly and responsibly, it will help save money on this month’s heating bill.
Regular Furnace Maintenance
A furnace should undergo maintenance at least once a year, preferably in the fall before the real heating season begins. Regular maintenance will ensure that your furnace is functioning efficiently, and it is a lot cheaper to run an efficient furnace than one that has to struggle to maintain a constant temperature. An annual maintenance call from Smith & Willis may also uncover small and easily repaired problems before they can turn into costly repairs.
Changing Your Furnace Filters
Changing dirty furnace filters will also help improve your furnace’s efficiency and lower your heating bills. Your filters should be checked at least once a month and changed out as needed. This only takes you a minute, but it will keep your furnace from having to work harder than it needs to.
Having Your Air Ducts Inspected
Like your furnace filters, the ducts in your home can become clogged with dust and debris. This lowers your furnace’s efficiency and raises your heating bills. It’s tough to actually monitor what’s in your ducts, but a regular inspection from Smith & Willis can uncover things that could be keeping the air from flowing freely through your home.
Installing Whole House Humidifier
Our dry Colorado air can play havoc with our skins, sinuses and more. One solution that we use is a humidifier but here is something that you didn’t know about whole home humidifiers. No, a humidifier won’t make your home any warmer, but it can feel like it. Furnaces blow dry air throughout a home, and that dry air can feel very cool on the skin. By adjusting the humidity ever so slightly, 68 degrees can feel a lot more comfortable in the winter, so much so that you probably won’t notice that your thermostat is set at such a low temperature. Lower thermostat settings mean lower heating bills, so consider having a whole home humidifier which will pay for itself in no time and also make you much more comfortable.
There are plenty of ways you can save money on your heating bills every month, but these are the easiest. If you would like to know more about how Smith & Willis can help lower your heating bills, contact us today (303) 688-4487.
