Tips to Save Money on Home Heating Bills This Winter

Posted on Dec 5, 2011 in Energy Efficiency by Matthew Speer 2 Comments

As the weather begins to turn cold and days grow shorter we know that winter will soon be upon us. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American will spend nearly $2,000 on home energy each year, half of which goes towards heating and cooling. Many Americans are looking to cut costs and save some money on their home heating bills, especially with the economy still trying to recover. There are many steps you can take to make a difference and following these energy conservation tips can help you save some green while going green.

Free Home Energy Saving Tips

The following tips may seem simple and in some cases, “no brainers,” though you would be surprised how effective they actually are. These home energy saving tips are free to implement and can help reduce your heating bills immediately. If you are able to combine some or all of these tips your savings on home heating will be compounded.

Limit the use of bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans, these simple fans can expel an entire houseful of warm air in just one hour, just by doing the job they were designed to do.
Space by space heating, if used properly, can save you about $200 per year. If you spend your time only in one or two rooms of your home you can utilize a small space heater to stay toasty and lower thermostat for the remaining portions of the house.
Save 2% on energy costs by sealing leaks in the attic, fireplace and electrical outlets. If you have a wood burning fireplace, keep the damper closed unless it is in use.
Use curtains effectively, by opening curtains during the winter you can allow for natural solar radiation to warm a living space. It is important to note that this could actually work against you if your windows are not sealed properly.
Manage your thermostat; you can achieve a 3%-5% savings when lowering the thermostat by 1 degree for heating. A programmable thermostat ensures energy won’t be wasted by forgetting to turn the heat down when heading out to work, check with your local power company as they may supply these for free. Otherwise you can find a programmable thermostat here.

These simple tips can help you lower your home heating bills now and help you lower your carbon footprint at the same time. These tips can also be used in combination with other energy saving tips to lower your bills even further. Our previous article on lowering electric bills can help compound your savings this winter as well.