Cut the Costs of Home Heating

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As gas and electricity prices continue to soar, so do homeowner’s energy bills.   Keep your home warm this winter by sealing up leaks and making your home draft-free. Other than layering on sweaters or moving closer to the Equator, what’s a homeowner to do when faced with such staggering heating costs? “The price of oil and gas is jumping up and it’s going to be a big awakening for a lot of people,” says Gary Marowske, president of Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical in Warren, Mich. In the past, users of heating oil were able to lock in per-gallon prices before the heating season started. This year, thanks to the escalating prices, many heating oil companies are refusing to lock in rates. Homeowners are facing an uncertain truth this winter, and making their heating systems energy-efficient is the answer to lower utility bills, the experts say. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to do that. Simple Steps to Take According to the Department of Energy (DOE), heating and cooling account for 50 to 75 percent of energy used in the average American home. Making smart decisions about your home's heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills and your comfort. To have an efficient heating system, you must properly maintain it. Check your unit’s filter monthly and if it looks dirty, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every three months. A dirty filter will slow down airflow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool, which wastes energy. Clean filters also prevent dirt from building up in the system, which can lead to expensive repairs in the future. For easy, step-by-step instructions on how to replace your filter, check out this How To video. Installing a programmable thermostat, which costs around $200, and setting it to a lower temperature—even by a degree or two—can impact costs. The installation is a relatively easy DIY job. This How To video shows you just how to do it. Lowering the temperature on your water heater from 140 degrees to 120 degrees can also save you 6 to 10 percent a year on energy bills. Get an annual HVAC inspection to keep the system running efficiently. Typical maintenance includes checking thermostat settings, tightening all electrical connections, lubricating moving parts, and inspecting the condensate drain and system controls. In addition, checking all gas or oil connections will alleviate the chances for dangerous gases escaping into your home. Leak-Proofing Your Home Air leaks raise a home’s energy bill and make a house drafty and uncomfortable in cold weather. “Much of our existing older housing today would not meet today’s stricter energy codes,” says Bohdan Boyko, an energy-efficiency specialist with U.S. GreenFiber, a manufacturer of natural fiber insulation in Charlotte, N.C. “We have learned an awful lot in the last 20 years about window technology, the requirements for higher R values of insulation and about more efficient HVAC systems.” To find out how drafty your home is, call your local utility company or a certified heating technician to request a home energy audit. Costs can range and average around $400. A technician will usually set up a “blower door” test that measures a home’s air tightness and use an infrared camera to check for temperature differences anywhere leaks occur. Read more about home audits in these two articles: “Plugging Up Leaks with a Home Energy Audit” and “Four Fixes to Stop Home Energy Leaks.”

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