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On cold winter days, you will most likely prefer to stay indoors, warm and cozy. Of course, you can only realize this by increasing the temperature throughout your home and maintaining the comfortable warmth through the winter. The sad part is that your heating bill will increase in the process.

Home heating is one of the utility expenses that may get out of hand fast. But you don’t have to shiver the nights away to limit paying high utility bills. Here are some effective ways to reduce your heating bill this winter.

Consider an Energy Audit

A home energy audit will go a long way in reducing your heating bill. It will educate you of the areas in your home that lose heat. Consequently, you will find a perfect way to address them. In most cases, you can do this all by yourself, but hiring a professional will deliver better and more accurate results.

Invest in a Heat Pump

Heat Pumps are energy efficient and have been proven to reduce heating bills by up to 50% as they convert energy to heat instead of making heat like a standard electrical or oil/gas furnace. In addition, with a mini-split ductless heat pump system you can also reduce the temperature by zones, such as your living room at night, or when away from the home for extended periods of time.

Replace Your HVAC System

Not surprisingly, advancements in technology have increased efficiencies, and an older heating system will be less efficient. Reduce your heating bills by replacing the system with a high-efficiency model. The initial cost may seem high, but you will save on your heating bill, allowing it to pay for itself in no time. You can also get in touch with your local expert with comparable caliber to a furnace repair Lynchburg specialist to aid you in any kind of repairs that your heating appliance might need.

Humidifier

Another low-cost way to reduce the heating bill is using a humidifier. By purchasing a small humidifier, it may improve the comfort level in your room. Since humid air feels warmer it may limit the need to turn up the heat in your home.

Service Your Heating System

A proactive approach to ensuring efficiency in your system is to maintain regular servicing, which ensures the lowest heating expenses. A regularly maintained unit will reduce the hassles of frequent heating, this will save you money in the end. At best, consider an annual tune-up to ensure the unit works optimally. You should also consider a regular inspection. Going that route will aid in catching small issues early and fixing them on time.

Change Filters

Your filter is designed to trap dust and other particles, the more dust in your filter, the less heating efficiency you experience, as there is less airflow that passes through. It is recommended that you replace filters before the winter temperatures and clean them on a regular basis in between. If you have pets, you may consider replacing or clean your filters as often as every 3 months.

Adjust the Thermostat on Your Furnace

If you have a furnace, not a heat pump, lowering the thermostat will dramatically lower your bills. Set a timer which turns the furnace down when you don’t need it. You can do this during sleeping hours, before leaving the house, and when the need for heat is not necessary. It’s also a good idea to have a furnace repair and maintenance check done on a regular basis to ensure that the appliances are in good functioning order. Proper inspection and maintenance of your furnace along with good heating oil (Learn more here) could prove to be essential in to save a good amount of your electricity bills.

Go Smart with the Thermostat

Investing in a smart thermostat option will allow the device to adjust the temperature for you. The best part is that you can control the thermostat from anywhere, anytime with their wifi option. If you travel, or away from home for extended periods of time you can easily turn the heat back on before your return.

Insulate Your Walls and Roof

Heat loss in your house will force you to spend more on frequent heating. But by adding insulation to the walls or roof of your house, you may lower heating costs. That is because the insulation will reduce the percentage of heat loss. Insulation is yet another project you should leave for professionals. They will know the amount of insulation you need based on your location. Besides allowing the heat to stay inside the house, insulation can also help in preventing ice dams on your roof and gutter, by not letting the snow on your roof melt due to the heat. While regular gutter cleaning, ideally done by experts from somewhere like Clean Pro Gutter Cleaning NEW ALBANY (or closer to you), can help prevent ice dams and other roof/gutter issues, the attic and roof insulation also plays a big part in it.

Free Options

You can reduce your heating bills in several other ways without paying anything. Some of them include closing the door on unused rooms. You may also consider, using ceiling fans to circulate warmth, or rearranging your furniture. All these will keep your space warm while reducing the demand on your heating system.

Bottom Line

Indeed, all the above methods will reduce your heating bills. Yet, some of them will deliver better results and quality of comfort. For example, investing in a heat pump and replacing your HVAC system have long-term benefits beyond reducing costs. If you are thinking of upgrading your system please get in touch with us to book a no-obligation in-home or virtual heat pump estimate.