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As the temps dip downward and the days get shorter, our thoughts inevitably turn to ways we can keep warm indoors without spending an arm and leg to do so. And while there’s nothing you can do to control the cost of oil, natural gas, or electricity, there’s plenty you can do to cut heating costs in other ways, including avoiding these 8 common heating mistakes.
Heating a house that’s empty. If you still haven’t gotten around to switching to a programmable thermostat, there’s no better time then now. No need to heat an entire house while you’re away most of the day (or night).
Spiking the thermostat. Your home won’t heat up any faster just because you spike the thermostat to 75 degrees or higher. In fact, doing so just makes your furnace run longer and consumer more energy, which means a higher utility bill.
Turning the thermostat down too low. While you don’t want to heat an empty home, you shouldn’t turn the thermostat down too low while you’re out and about. Otherwise, you force your furnace to work extra hard to raise the temperature to a comfortable level.
Leaving windows unlocked. Locking your windows is not only a great safety precaution, it helps keep cold air out. The act of locking a window forms a tighter seal than simply closing it.
Closing vents. It might seem counter-intuitive but closing vents in unused rooms only adds to your heating costs. If your system is properly sized, its job is to distribute heat evenly throughout the home. Closing vents disrupts this balance.
Leaving exhaust fans on longer than necessary. While exhaust fans do a great job of removing moisture from the air, leaving them on for too long pumps warm air out of your home.
Letting leaks and drafts go unchecked. Those small cracks and gaps around windows and doors are some of the worst offenders of heat loss. Seal or caulk any areas where warm air could potentially leak out.
Neglecting to maintain your heating system. Clean or change air filters regularly and schedule an annual inspection to ensure that your system is running at max efficiency.
Has it been a year or longer since your heating system was last tune-up and inspected? If so, contact GBT Heating & Cooling today to schedule service. You’ll save money on home heating while reducing the frequency of repairs and helping your system last longer.