Cut Heating Costs to Amp up Your Savings

With bills from the holidays rolling in, you may have a resolution for 2016 to put household spending on a diet.

A great way to start replenishing your bank account is to reduce your home heating bill. Apropos, this Sunday is National Cut Your Energy Costs Day and we have several tips to help you stay warm, even as you dial down the thermostat.

Make sure your home is well-insulated. Easy DIY steps you can take are to add or replace weather stripping around doors, use caulk to seal cracks around windows and put piping insulation around both hot and cold water pipes. 

Turn your thermostat down to 62 degrees at night. You can stay warm and cozy in bed with a heated mattress pad. This heated pad earned The Best rating from the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute because it generated the most consistent warmth and was the most comfortable. Panelists lauded The Best model’s soft cushioning, virtually undetectable heating elements, and soft, smooth cotton/polyester 200-thread-count fabric.

Take advantage of sunlight. Open drapes on south- and west-facing windows on sunny days for the unique gift of warmth provided free by Mother Nature. Close drapes on cloudy days and at sunset to add extra insulation to your windows. 

Heat the room you’re in and turn down the furnace by using a space heater. This portable radiator features a patented heat flow system that provides consistent, thorough heating of a room. Seven vertical tunnels enable radiant heat to rise faster than typical oil-filled radiators for faster, more even heat distribution in a room up to 144 sq. ft. A digital thermostat maintains your preferred ambient temperature. This heater also makes a thoughtful and unique gift for any handyman with a garage workshop.

For the latest technology in space heaters, The Hammacher Schlemmer institute recommends this tower heater as The Best because it warms a cold room faster and warmer than any other competitor. Designed for both safety and style, The Best model has a quiet heater that oscillates for efficiency and a minimalist form with no exposed heating elements or whirring blades, plus it automatically shuts off if tipped over. It also can be focused to direct heat to a specific area or distribute it evenly around the room.

Keep your heat registers clear. If furniture is placed over a heating vent, the flow of warm air will be limited. Rearrange rooms so floor vents are completely unobstructed.

Have your furnace cleaned and serviced every year. A clean furnace runs more efficiently. The technician will also ensure your unit has no carbon monoxide leaks, so you and your family will stay safe, making this perhaps the most important tip of all.

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