Today you’ll learn How to Save Money on Heat, using simple tips to help you learn how to lower your heating bill this winter.
Try doing as many of these as possible, for the best results!
Why is my Gas Bill so High?
There are lots of reasons your gas bill may be so high each month, especially during the freezing temperatures. There’s also lots of ways to reduce the cost of heating this winter, even though there are some things that may be out of your control.
Thankfully there are several things that you can do that will help reduce the amount you will have to pay this winter to keep your home warm.
The prospect of heating our homes through a long cold winter can be a big addition to the mounting financial stress on many families this year.
With tighter budgets, we all need to take a look at working to make our homes comfortable without sacrificing warmth this year.
The following tips will help you keep your home as warm as possible, while lowering the cost of heating your home this year.
Cheapest Ways to Heat a Room
These simple tips will help you keep warm and lower your heating bill.
The tips below are easy things that anyone can do to reduce the amount of heat you need to stay warm. I recommend doing as many of the things listed as possible, for the greatest noticeable difference in your heating bill.
The idea here is to use less heat, but still keep you and your family comfortable and warm.
Using less heat means you will save money on the cost of your heat bills this winter.
Get a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat is a great way to lower your costs. Although you will have an upfront cost of the thermostat, in the longrun you’ll save hundreds of dollars on your heat bill over the years.
Choose one with a WiFi connection that you can control from bed, or when you’re away from home.
This is a great way to lower the temperature of the house and lower your heating bill when you can handle the cooler temperatures.
With families gone from the home most of the day, a programmable thermostat can really help make a significant difference in your heating bill.
Program you heat to be lower during the day, when no one is home. You can even set it to raise the temp about half hour before anyone comes home, so the house will always be warm.
It also makes sense to lower the heat at night during sleeping hours and use warmer sheets and blankets instead to supplement your heat. Again, set it to turn the temp up automatically 30 minutes before anyone is going to be out of bed and no one will even notice the temperture was lower.
Improve the Insulation of Your Home
From cold walls to drafty windows, insulating your home is one of the best way to trap the heat inside and keep the cold outside.
The biggest leaks for heat to escape in older homes are the windows.
Using a window insulation kit or large plastic drop cloth and double-sided tape, is the easiest way to insulate your windows and block any drafts you have.
To add a buffer of insulation place two layers of plastic over the window.
One on the inside of the frame and one on the outside of the frame.
Other great options for insulating your windows is to add a layer of bubble wrap or to use heavier insulated curtains over your newly well-sealed windows.
It’s amazing how well these work together to block out the cold air that would try to get into your home.
Cover Cold Walls
Walls facing open space to the north can get exceedingly cold in the winter.
If your walls have poor insulation you’ll notice they will be cold to touch. You can add some extra insulation using materials you likely have around your home.
You can add a layer of shipping boxes attached to the lower part of the walls, moving bookshelves between the wall and the rest of the room, or hanging long thermal curtains to trap the cold against the wall.
Remember this is not permanent and will only need to stay up for a few months at the most, until you no longer need the extra insulation to keep the heat in and the cold out.
Use Zone Heating to Reduce Your Heating Costs
Zone heating is another great way to keep your heat costs down this winter.
Close off vents and shut the doors to unused rooms.
This will prevent you from heating a room no one is using and force the heat into rooms you are using.
Space heaters such as electric fireplaces are a great way to reduce your heating costs by zone heating rooms that are used more often.
This will allow the rest of the house to be set to a lower temperature, while keeping the room you’re currently using warmer than the rest of the house.
Raise the Humidity in Your Home
Furnaces remove the moisture from the air.
Dry air does not feel as warm and can actually be harmful to your lungs.
Placing humidifiers in your home is a great way to add moisture back into a room and help make your home feel warmer without kicking up the heat.
If you do not have a humidifier you can place a large pot of water on the stove to boil.
Try this Fall Simmer Pot recipe and you’re home will have plenty of humidity and smell great too!
Keep Your Floors Warm and Cozy
While wearing slippers is a great option for keeping your feet warm as you walk through the house, they do not offer insulation for your floor.
Adding rugs on hard floors adds a layer of insulation to prevent cold from your basement or crawlspace for seeping into your home.
Dress Your Family Warmer
Many kids would be happy in shorts and a t-shirt all winter long.
However dressing your family in warmer clothing during the winter makes sense and will reduce how much heat they need to remain comfortable.
Warm pajamas, wool socks and cozy sweaters or hoodies can go a long way in keeping your family warm and cozy for less.
It also helps to have lots of snuggly blankets around!
More Money Saving Tips
If you liked this post on How to Save Money, you’ll love these ones too:
- How to Save Money on Electricity – Here are some of things you can do every day to help you save enegy and spend less on your electric bill.
- How to Save up an Emergency Fund – How to Save Up an Emergency Fund as fast as possible, so you can deal with any unforeseen expenses that might come up and try to derail your budget.
- How Much to Save From Your Paycheck – Here are some great steps to help you determine how much money to save from each of your paychecks.
- 20 Ways to Get Out of Debt Fast – Try one way or all of the ways to get out of debt fast!
- Simple Steps To Tackle Debt – Try these steps to get the ball rolling to help you get out of debt.
Leave a Reply