Stay Warm and Spend Less
Keeping homes warm during the winter can be costly, even in mild regions. Whether a home is heated by gas or electricity, the corresponding bills will rise as people switch from air conditioning to heating this month. However, keeping bills low is easy with the right tactics. Here are three tips from experts to help homeowners keep their heating bills lower over the winter.
Use Ceiling Fans Properly
Before air conditioners were widely used to cool homes, people relied on ceiling fans. In most new construction, ceiling fans are common installations in bedrooms and living rooms, which are generally frequently occupied.
Ceiling fans don’t make a space warmer or cooler, but they can drastically aid a home’s HVAC equipment in keeping it comfortable as long as the owner knows how to use them to their advantage.
During the winter, ceiling fans help the heater push warm air down into occupied spaces. Warm air rises, so the air temperature near the ceiling is always several degrees warmer, wasting energy by not keeping living spaces warm.
Ceiling fans can gently push warm air downwards to help heat the areas near the floor where people will be. During this season, change the rotation of ceiling fans so they spin clockwise. This creates an updraft that can’t be felt by people on the ground. The updraft mixes warm air with cooler air and pushes it down around the edges of the room to warm the space.
Remember Air Filter Changes
Heaters are designed to move air efficiently throughout the home. The more effectively they can do this, the lower the energy bills will be. A dirty air filter is one of the biggest impediments to free air movement in the home.
As air filters stay in service for longer, they accumulate so much dust that they don’t allow air to pass freely. This causes the furnace to run for longer periods, driving up heating costs.
Dirty air filters cost money in other ways. First, they add an extra workload to furnaces, which reduces their efficiency. Second, they allow dust to be pulled into the heater's inner parts.
When grime builds up inside the unit, it can contribute to costly mechanical problems. Additionally, the extra workload caused by dirty air filters can cause premature failure, leading to higher repair and maintenance costs.
Install a Smart Thermostat
Older analog and digital thermostats are one of the biggest sources of inefficiency for a heater. The problem lies in the fact that they cause the home to reach the same setpoint whether anyone is home to enjoy it or not.
Smart thermostats automatically learn the habits of families in a home so they can automatically control the temperature. By allowing the home to cool down in the winter when no one is home, the heater won’t cycle as often, leading to big savings.
About Barker Heating & Cooling
Barker Heating & Cooling helps homeowners save money on heater repairs and maintenance. Their membership program ensures every heater is ready for the winter. Call today for heating services in Livermore, CA, and the Tri-Valley.
