How To Save On Your Heating Bill This Winter

We’ve had a mild fall so far here in Connecticut, but winter might tell a different story starting in a few weeks. Either way, your heating equipment has been working away steadily for several months now, and the more it labors, the more you’ll pay for the pleasure.

5 Energy Saving Tips

If you’d like to find ways to keep that labor to a minimum, here are five cost-effective ways to take a load off your heating system in the coming months.

1. Seal air leaks – Homes – especially older ones – are constantly leaking air through their building envelope (the shell or skin of your home that separates the exterior of the building from the interior). Caulking and weatherstripping are two simple and effective air-sealing techniques that offer quick returns on investment; door sweeps are another.
2. Insulate – About a quarter of the warm air that escapes from your home comes as a result of inadequate insulation. Insulate your attic and crawl spaces to proper R-values for an immediate drop in heating bills. For more insulation tips, check out this page from the U.S. Department of Energy.
3. Keep an eye on your air filters – A clogged air filter makes your furnace work harder than it has to when heating your home. Over time, that overwork will raise your bills and could even cause a premature breakdown of your system. Check your filters regularly during heating season – once a month or so, especially if you have pets that shed.
4. Program your thermostat – A programmable thermostat can reduce heating costs by 10 percent or more by controlling temperature when no one is home – or when you’re asleep and won’t notice the difference.
5. Maintain your equipment – A heating system loses an average of about five percent efficiency every year it doesn’t receive professional heating service. To put that another way, an annual heating tune-up pays for itself in retaining that efficiency. Routine care also prevents long-term equipment wear and tear and can even keep your warranty in place. No matter how you slice it, professional preventive care is a must for your propane or oil-fired heating equipment – if you haven’t had it this year, schedule a tune-up before the real winter weather hits.

It’s not too late to service your heating equipment for winter 2021/22! Contact us today to schedule a heating tune-up in Fairfield, Litchfield & New Haven Counties, CT, or to sign up for a heating system service plan for your propane- or heating oil-fired system.