How to Save Money on Home Heating Costs

There's lots to love about winter - the snow days, the skiing, the sledding, the snowboarding. But homeowners don't love the high home heating costs that come along with the cold winter months. Fortunately, there's many small changes that homeowners can make to save money and to save energy during the winter. And by conserving energy (i.e. using less home heating oil, natural gas or propane to heat a house), residents can reduce heating costs at home!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Weatherstripping for Windows and Doors
• Draft Stoppers for Doors
• A Programmable Thermostat
• Caulking for Window Frames
• Feather or Incense
• Insulation for Attic and Basement
• An Afternoon or Two Worth of Free Time!

1. Begin by closing all window air conditioner units and close all storm windows. For air conditioning units that are installed in the wall, purchase a air conditioner cover.

2. Use a feather or stick of incense to detect drafts around window frames. If you find a draft, use some caulking to seal the draft.

3. Install weather stripping in windows and in doors to reduce drafts.

4. Install draft guards or draft snakes (a tube of fabric filled with sand) at the base of exterior doors. Also install draft guards on doors leading to cold areas, like the garage, basement or utility room.

5. Install rolls of fiberglass insulation in the attic of the home to prevent warm air from escaping into the attic - remember, hot air rises. Also, if your basement is unfinished, install rolled fiberglass insulation in the ceiling of the basement. This will prevent cold air from moving up through the floor and into the living space.

6. Get a programmable thermostat and schedule slight drops in temperature at night and during the day when the family is at work or at school.

Tips & Warnings

• Use humidifiers! Humid air feels warmer. And humidifiers will also help to combat that winter dryness that causes dry skin, sore throats and other discomfort.
• Don't turn up the thermostat at every single opportunity. If you feel a bit chilled, put on a sweater or sweatpants.
• Close doors to rooms that are not frequently used, like a guest bedroom. Do not close off rooms with plumbing, as the pipes could freeze.
• Avoid dramatic variations in thermostat setting. It takes less energy (and therefore, less money spent on home heating) to keep the home at a near-constant temperature. A variation of more than four or five degrees in the home's temperature will cause the system to work harder to warm the home and ultimately, this burns more fuel.
• To avoid cold and costly heating system repairs and oil burner malfunctions, get your home heating system maintained on an annual basis - each autumn, ideally.

Resources

• Home Improvements to Help Reduce Home Heating Costs
• More Ways to Save on Home Heating Costs

[JohnQ2009]

on 12/27/2008 Great tips! You should also look into the Magnon Fuel Conditioners at www.SaveMoneyOnHomeHeating.com to drastically lower your heating bill. I'm down about 20-22% from last year since I installed them. Paid for themselves in less than a year and it took a couple minutes to install them. Totally worth checking out if you need a quick fix to lower your home heating costs!

[kluke82]

on 12/5/2008 A programmable thermostat is such a good idea!

[Rockney]

on 11/30/2008 Great advice! 5*!

[frenchwriter]

on 11/30/2008 Very good tips here. I keep low...60 and bought a good blanket at goodwill for $7.00 I do as you suggested keep warm clothing on..the goal is to have a lower heat bill. I have been to home where they have 72 all day all night. Money out the window. I love your dog..blessings and check your ratings...surprise.
Heating individual areas means using a form of Radiant Heat. Radiant Heat involves heating an object, which then radiates the heat throughout the room. There are many ways to get radiant heat, such as space heaters, radiators, and electric heating panels. Radiant is cheaper than forced air systems for three reasons:

Most radiant setups give you a choice of how much of your home you want to heat. With forced-air you have to heat your whole home, whether you're using all of it or not.
Radiant heating conveys heat better than hot air. It allows you to feel warmer even at a