5 More Ways to Save on Heating Bills
Posted by admin in Saving
While I have already given you a number of tips about saving money on heating, I would like to give you a couple more. Once again, these tips are rather simple – but they sure do add up to money saved when you apply a number of them.
1. Use ventilation fans sparingly
If you leave your kitchen fan or bathroom fan running for awhile, you furnace will have a hard time keeping up. These fans, although small, can pull a lot of heat out into the open air real quick.
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 4802495
2. Use ceiling fans to distribute heat uniformly
While many people think about leaving these fans off in the winter, you should know that they will actually help your house feel more evenly heated. Just keep it on low and direct it toward the ceiling. It will help your furnace to come on less often.
3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater
Your water heater does not need to be heating the water all the time. By keeping the thermostat at about 120 degrees, you will save money.
4. Turn the heat down when you are away
If you go out of the house to work, or for a few hours, turn your thermostat down to about 65 degrees – or less. It will not take long to warm back up when you come back.
5. Enjoy home-cooked meals more often
By eating at home, you can let the oven (or stove) produce some heat, too. You might be surprised how much heat these appliances can radiate. It your thermostat is near the kitchen, you will save money.
If you are having trouble paying for your heating bills this winter, be sure to talk to an agency near you. Some that you might contact are:
- Your electric company
- Salvation army
- Community services.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Thanks for the list.
I’m all about lowering the thermostat on your water heater. I have been lowering mine to the lowest setting all winter, and then I just turn it on like 15-30 minutes before taking showers, and when we do that, we also try to wash the dishes and clothes or do anything else that requires hot water at the same time.
You won’t have warm water whenever you need it and your hands will freeze when you wash them, but if you can deal with that, then it does seem to help save on gas usage as well as taking other steps to cut back on energy use.
My gas and electric bills are still pretty high though during the winter, so I’m just waiting out for summer and the warmer weather for some relief.