How to Bring Down the Cost of Your Heating Bill at Home

In the last decade saving our planet has gained a lot of momentum and recently with this financial debacle saving money has also become a priority in our everyday lives. In fact it is prudent to say that both saving money and our planet go hand-in-hand.

In regards to the subject being discussed in this article, when you reduce your heating bill at home you are also helping the planet which makes this a win-win situation.

To save money on your heating bill you will need to perform a furnace tune-up, a programmable thermostat, heavy curtains or quilt blinds, a boiler blanket, weather stripping, caulk, sweaters which in reality is a given, an energy audit is ideal and storm doors and windows.

It is important to get a tune-up on your furnace before winter arrives. If you do this on an annual basis, your furnace will give you your money's worth because it will run efficiently. Besides, whatever you invest on the tune-up will be saved in your heating bills.

Installing a programmable thermostat is something indispensable because you have the option to lower the heating setting when no one is going to be at home and you can switch it back to the ideal temperature at night while everyone is sleeping.

By lowering the heating temperature to 72 degrees and wearing a sweater at home you will be practicing a carbon-free heating method and also save money at the same time. All this while still being cozy at home.

Using your home curtains to your advantage is also a smart way to approach this situation. In order to regulate the heat at home, close your curtains and or quilted blinds at night to keep as much heat from breaking out through your windows. Make sure to open your curtains throughout the day time to let the sun warm up your home. This is sort of a process to repeat on a daily basis which isn't complicated at all.

Covering your heating system is another way to keep the heat where it belongs, but before just throwing a blanket on your system, consult your user's manual to make sure that the blanket you'll be using is safe. If you don't find this information in the manual call their customer service hotline to be safe that your boiler and blanket are safe to use together.

Giving your gas or electric company a call to ask if they do free energy audits is a great way to be proactive. In an energy audit they appraise each room letting you know each room's energy efficiency, this can help you cut costs and with an audit they can also recommend how to make your home more energy efficient.

Always pay attention to your utility company's efficiency programs. Many of them will actually pay for programmable thermostats and some of these companies even subsidize roof insulation.

To check for any drafts that allow cold air to sneak into your house, hold a piece of toilet paper near your windows and door frames, if there is a draft you will know it. Once you figure out if you have drafts letting the cold air in, seal the cracks with weather stripping because this alone can save you a lot of money.

Something to keep in mind that many people don't know is that if you decide to improve your home's energy efficiency by adding a new furnace, boiler, water heater, or even by getting new storm windows and doors, you are entitled to an energy tax credit.

Go over any potential cracks that you might have outside of your home; if you do discover cracks any cracks that are draining the heat from your home caulk them.

Keep your radiators and baseboard heaters clean and also make sure that your furniture or curtains aren't blocking the ventilators.

Lastly, if you lower your thermostat to 68 degrees while you're working you will potentially decrease your heating bill by 12%; once you add this to all the other tips you will be saving big bucks.