Are you looking for ways to shrink your heating bills this winter? If so, then you might want to take some time now, before the weather cools, to determine what steps you can take to do just that. Here are a few tips that you can consider, many of which cost only pennies, are easy to implement, and which can help you shave dollars off your energy bills throughout the year: 

• Seal air leaks. Look at the joints between your windows and your home’s exterior. Small cracks let air in or out. Seal them with exterior caulk. If you see light filtering through exterior doors, apply fresh weatherstripping. Gaps at the bottom of the door can let in significant air, but are easy to seal with door sweeps or draft busters. Use expanding foam if you have holes around cables, wires or pipes that enter your home.
• Add insulation. The Department of Energy recommends at least 12 inches of insulation in your attic. If yours is lacking, consider adding fiberglass batts, blown-in cellulose or fiberglass fill.
• Pay attention to your windows. Unless you have thermal or Energy Star windows, heat losses from glass can be significant. Heavy drapes, when closed, enable you to retain more heat inside your home. Clear plastic window-sealing kits also can cut heating bills, are easy to install and let the sunshine through while blocking air leaks.
• Turn the thermostat down at night and when you’re away. Unless you have pets that are sensitive to cold, keeping your home at 65 degrees or lower can save you money. If that’s too cold for when you’re around the house, consider programming your thermostat to drop your temperature automatically when you know you’ll be away from your home or asleep. Furthermore, you can program your thermostat to turn up the heat shortly before you expect to return home or wake up.
• Have your heating system professionally serviced before turning it on for the winter. HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) professionals will thoroughly inspect, clean and adjust your equipment, which increases its efficiency. They’ll also look for leaks or breaches in your ductwork that can increase your energy bills by as much as 30 percent and may exhaust carbon monoxide into your home if you use a gas furnace.

If you’d like to learn more about how professional maintenance lowers your heating bills, contact Powers Heating & Air. We provide HVAC services for Peachtree-area residential and commercial customers.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree, GA and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heating bills and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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