3 Tips to Save Money on Your Utility Bills This Winter

Getting your home winter ready is essential to save money this winter. The brisk cold air may feel refreshing until you realize natural gas costs rise 22% on average in the winter and heating oil rises 38%.

You’ll spend a lot more money on utilities during the winter months.

But you can help negate many of these costs through smart preparation. A little effort goes a long way to help lower your utility bills.

1. Change Furnace Filters

A simple and easy way to keep your furnace running optimally is to change your furnace filters. Experts recommend that you replace or clean furnace filters once a month when running your furnace often.

Why?

Dirty filters don’t allow airflow to flow through the filter freely. Restricted airflow causes an increase in energy demand. Clean filters will help make it easier for your furnace to heat your home, keeping your energy bills lower in the process.

2. Plumbing Must-Do’s

Plumbing will have a major impact on your utility bills, too. You’ll need to make a lot of repairs and adjustments to keep your bills down. A few must-do preparations or repairs include:

1. Winterize your water lines. Your sewer pipe lining is vulnerable to cold weather. Locate all pipes that are at-risk of freezing and insulate them with foam pipe insulation or insulation sleeves. Heat tape can help, too, but this does pose a risk. Ask a plumber or follow safety recommendations when using heat tape.
2. Reduce your water heater temperature. Your water heater is likely set to 140F – too high for most users. Lowering your temperature to 120F can help reduce water heating costs by as much as 10%.
3. Faucet dripping. There’s a reason that leaving your faucet dripping is recommended: it stops pipes from freezing. It’s better to spend a little extra money on water costs than pay to repair a burst pipe.

You can also have a camera inspection done on your sewer pipes to have any issues repaired before they turn into a plumbing emergency. Older home piping is especially vulnerable to freezing and bursting.

3. Install Door Sweeps to Stop Drafts

If you stand in front of your door with your socks and shoes off, do you feel a draft from the outside? If so, you need to install door sweeps to stop these drafts from entering your home. The cold air entering the home will make it harder for your furnace to keep your home warm, forcing your heating bills to soar.

Energy.gov has these startling statistics to think about:

• Homeowners spend $2,000 per year, on average, in energy costs.
• $200 – $400 is wasted on drafts and leaks.

This means as much as 20% of your heating costs are a result of those pesky drafts from underneath your door. You’ll want to make sure that the door is sealed properly. Installing a door sweep can be as easy as attaching it using an elastic string that comes with the door sweep. You can also permanently install a door sweep with just a few screws.

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• Simple Heater Repair You Can Try Before Calling A Professional