5 Tips to Lower Your Utility Bills This Winter
Indications are that this winter will produce record-setting cold. If your household utility bills are chewing through your paychecks, the tips below can help you get control of your costs.
1) Check Your Ceiling Fans
In the winter, your ceiling fans should turn clockwise, sending warm air at the ceiling back down onto the people in the room. If you can't reverse your ceiling fans, consider adding a fan high in the corner of the room that will move air down at an angle. Avoid overheating rooms with very high ceilings.
2) Check Your Windows and Doors
If your windows are old and leaking, plastic over them until you can come up with a better fix. Caulk any obvious gaps from the outside in the fall. Along your doors, make sure there is flexible weather-stripping around the door frame and a sweep affixed to the bottom of the door itself. Old weather-stripping will get stiff and may grow brittle. Adding fresh weather-stripping will greatly improve the snugness of your door against the frame.
Sweeps can be a bit tricky to install. Because they contain rubber they can also grow brittle and break off over time. If you notice a problem with mice in the winter, it may be because your door sweeps are no longer functioning well.
3) Let Heat Build Up
Thermal drapes are a wonderful tool to keep cold out at night, but you need to open them up during the day. Letting heat build up from windows to the south in particular can lower how much heat you have to pay for. Using your oven at the right time can also lower your heating costs. You may not have time to whip up pancakes first thing in the morning, but an overnight breakfast casserole just needs to be put in the oven at the right time. Warm up the house and feed your family a hearty breakfast!
4) Add a Programmable (and Locking) Thermostat
Once everyone is bathed and snuggled up in bed, you can lower the temperature in your home. A programmable thermostat will let the temperature drop overnight, then fire up the furnace in the 30 minutes before the earliest riser has to get up. If swapping out the thermostat isn't in your budget, work out a schedule between the family night owl and the family lark.
5) Review Everyone's Wardrobe
Obviously, we all want our family members to be warm and comfortable. However, that doesn't have to mean barefoot. Snuggly socks and fluffy slippers will do much more than look adorable. If someone complains of being cold, check their pulse points. Encourage them to warm up by
putting on a turtleneck and covering their neck
putting on a cardigan and covering wrists and elbows
putting on long pants, covering them at groin and knee
wearing socks and slippers to warm up their ankles and feet
Hoodies and stocking caps are also a great way to capture and retain heat when you're feeling chilled.
You can protect your budget from the pressures of high utility bills. Major home repairs, such as a more energy-efficient furnace or new windows, may provide you with both lower bills and a tax credit. Contact National Financial Credit Group for more ideas on keeping utility costs low.