Save on Home Heating Bills This Winter

It's that time of year again. I was rather dismayed to see my oil delivery person show up the second week of September. It couldn't possibly be time for that, yet. He'd just said "see ya in the fall" what seemed like a couple of weeks before! Actually it was in March, but how time flies.

The bill was, as I expected, rather high because of the way fuel costs have been going up nearly constantly. As I have done every year, I started thinking about ways to conserve energy in general and the heating bills in particular. Any idea that can be used to save money on heating bills is a good one.

First Steps

I happen to have the oil company with the most reasonably priced oil in the area (I have oil heating that also heats the hot water). The first tip, however, is to not be afraid to shop around for better prices just because you've used the same company for years. This holds true for whatever means you heat your home with, not just oil.

Is the water heater well insulated? If not, consider doing it before the cold winter winds start to blow. I remember that my dad used to do this every year and although I never wondered why, it appears now that he knew it would save in heating costs.

A Few Window Concerns

If the house has windows that are not essential or in parts of the house that are not often used, think about putting plastic over the windows for the very cold months. Before I moved to my current home, that was done to the windows in the previous house and the difference was rather stunning. It was an old house and often frost and ice formed on the *inside* of the windows when it was very cold. It doesn't take much imagination to realize what a difference covering the windows with plastic made in that house! To save on heating costs, things like this are essential.

Make sure the storm windows and not the screens are down! Buy and use weather stripping. Use it anywhere that cold air may be getting into the house from windows and doors. If replacement windows are not within the household budget, try weather stripping if coldness is seeping in. If you can feel the outside air coming through cracks, it definitely needs to be taken care of.

If there are insulated drapes in any of your rooms, keep them closed when it is especially cold. This presents a problem for me because my feline fur child insists on keeping an eye on birds and other neighborhood creatures during the winter, but she will have to get used to using windows in the warmer rooms this time.

More Ways to Save on Heating

I used to turn the furnace up before bath time because the bathroom gets very cold. A better solution is to try a space heater but with the proper precautions. I would not do this for a child who bathes by him or herself. I personally don't feel that it's safe even if it is kept far from the tub. The solution for this is to heat the bathroom with the space heater BEFORE the bather actually does the bath or shower. It just feels safer that way.

Consider wearing warmer clothing and turning the thermostat down a degree or two. It doesn't seem like it would make much difference, but it does over the course of the winter. This is especially important for the overnight hours when you can simply add another blanket to the bed and save on some of those heating costs.

If you have heating registers for the air delivery, it sometimes helps to block off the registers to the rooms that that aren't in use. This makes more of the warm air go into the rooms that are actually used. This is an additional great idea to save on some of those heating costs.

And Still a Few More Suggestions

Is your home well insulated? If not, consider having it done. When the cold sets in is not the ideal time to start the project, though. Make it a project to do before fall arrives so that you are ready for the arrival of cold air. This can make quite a dent in heating costs and will save money.

Has your furnace been maintained well by a professional? Have the filters been changed and the parts checked for peak performance? Dirty filters cause the furnace to use more energy than would otherwise be needed.

Close doors to rooms that are not being used as well as doors to the basement and storage rooms, etc. Heating the basement or attic shouldn't be part of your heating bill! Caulk or seal any spots in the house that are allowing cold air to come in. Taking these steps to save heating costs will give you peace of mind for the upcoming frigid months.