Update Your Home Heating and Save

Homeowners in cold regions are bracing themselves for high heating bills as the cold weather sets in and the thermostats go up. If you are looking to save money (and most of us are) the first place to start is your home heating system. Heating accounts for 35-50 percent of your annual energy bills in colder regions of the country. Finding ways to lower your heating bills is the best way to save money and reduce your negative contributions to the environment.

Insulation

Insulation is a big deal. Without proper insulation your heating system will work harder to make up for all the heat loss through windows, dog doors, roofs, and basements. Many people never consider insulating their floors, but when it comes to cold basements, in-slab insulation in cement foundations will keep the cold from the surrounding soil out, and the warmth from your heating system inside.

If tearing up your basement floors to embed insulation isn’t an option, a good place to start is your windows. Older homes usually have single pane windows with poor sealing capabilities to keep cold out and warmth in. If you can’t afford to replace your windows, a fast and easy fix is a do-it-yourself plastic winter film applied directly to windows. The plastic winter film is applied to the windows similar to plastic wrap and then shrunk using a hair dryer. The only drawback is not being able to open your window while it is in place.

Heating System

If you’ve had your furnace or boiler longer than 20 years, it’s time to replace your system with a newer more efficient system.  Systems installed before 1992 operate at about 65 percent efficiency, which means that 35 percent of the money spent on heating is literally disappearing into the air.  The best option is switching your entire system from fossil fuels to electric, which can potentially run off renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydro. An electric radiant heating system can be installed yourself and will increase the comfort of your home. When properly installed, an electric radiant heat system is around 95 percent to 99 percent efficient. Which means all the energy consumed goes directly into heating your home. When coupled with solar panels, an electric heating system will save you thousands every year. Not to mention add value to your home and increase your ability to resell.

 A less expensive option and also the quickest solution to high heating bills, is installing flat wall-mount electric ECO-heaters in bedrooms and living areas. The wall-mount design keeps the heater out of the way and prevents it from taking up space, but the best part is that it consumes only 400 watts. Anyone with a few tools and the ability to follow simple instructions can install this product, and there is no danger of fire or injury. When used with your current home heating system, you can turn your thermostat down to low and run in conjunction with the ECO-heater. For every degree that you lower the thermostat for at least 8 hours, you can cut your heating costs by 2 percent.

The ease of installation and affordable price of the ECO-heater makes this a great option for home owners looking to cut heating costs without a huge initial out-of-pocket expense. By installing an ECO-heater in each room, you can turn off your furnace or boiler and heat only the rooms that are used most frequently. Cheap and easy, without the waste!

While there are many more steps you can take to ensure you won’t be slammed with bills this winter, I’ve given you a good place to get started. Eliminating wasteful energy consumption will lower your bills, reduce your impact on the environment, and make you feel pretty smart.