6 Free Tips to Lower Your Heating Costs

The global pandemic has caused countless families to suffer the loss of income or at least a considerable reduction in cash on hand. As a result, homeowners are left with no choice but to find ways to minimize the economic impacts of COVID-19.

One of the most manageable expenses at home is your energy consumption. According to the Department of Energy, your heating and cooling account for about half of your total monthly energy usage. Thankfully, there are simple ways you can try to reduce your energy expenses.

Four Seasons Air Specialists is your leading heating company in Shoreview MN. One of our areas of expertise is furnace maintenance, allowing you to keep your heating system in tip-top shape. This process enables the furnace to provide optimum comfort in the most energy-efficient ways.

Overview

Your energy costs in winter are expected to go up, and there are several factors to consider. The quality of your home’s insulation, the condition of your heating system, and heating habits all contribute to your monthly heating costs.

If you tend to set the thermostat to “HEAT” even when no one is home or if you prefer wearing short sleeves and shorts around the house, you may need to set your indoor temperature warmer, leading to higher energy costs.

Here are some suggestions to think about.

Keep the filter clean.

The cleanliness of your filter directly impacts the furnace’s performance. A clogged filter makes your heating system work harder to push air through the ducts. This results in higher amounts of energy consumption, leading to higher heating costs. Keeping your filter clean and fresh can save you a significant amount of money on energy.

Take advantage of the sun.

You may need your furnace to work hard at night, but come day time, you can get free heat. You can use sunlight to help warm your home during the day and adjust your furnace settings. Simply open up your blinds, shades, or curtains and let the heat of the sun penetrate your home. Close them at night to bring back that layer of insulation against the cold.

Close doors and windows tightly.

Heated air is not cheap, and the last thing you’d want is to let it escape because your doors and windows aren’t properly closed. Before the cold becomes unbearable, it’s best to go around the house and check all doors and windows for leaks and damages. Cold air from the outside can easily seep in along the sides of these openings, causing you to crank up the thermostat. So, seal them off as needed.

Run ceiling fans in reverse.

Ceiling fans are great back-ups for your furnace. Therefore, if you have one or two in your home, use them during the cold months to help circulate the warm air and minimize your energy consumption. Running them in reverse pulls the air upward, so the warm air that’s confined near the ceiling can move down the walls and around the room.

Clean up your furnace.

It’s no brainer that a clean furnace performs well and uses less energy. By keeping it clean, you’re making your heating system to work with ease. This step helps lower its energy consumption. According to experts, a clean furnace can help you save as much as 5 percent on your monthly heating costs. That’s s significant reduction, especially during the coldest months when your furnace works virtually non-stop.

Reposition your furniture.

Furniture placement can work wonders and help you lessen your energy usage. Moving fixtures around helps improve the airflow in a room as the heat from the vents is circulated more evenly. Make sure your couches, beds, and other furniture are not blocking vents and registers. Keep them at least a few feet away to ensure heated air travels without constraint.

Ask the Energy Efficiency Experts

Trying these six tips can greatly lower your monthly heating costs — and the best part: they’re free. It takes some effort to make your furnace work with as little stress as possible. For best results, call Four Seasons Air Specialists and schedule professional maintenance to ensure your heating system works according to the manufacturer’s specifications. We are your preferred Circle Pines furnace maintenance company.