(IntegrityPress.org) – Winter is extra hard on the wallets of average Americans, especially if they use electric heating. It’s important to keep a warm internal temperature when the weather gets chilly outside, even if it costs a little extra. There are numerous ways we can reduce our electric or gas heating costs in the winter, however.
Keep your house temperature cooler when you’re not home or sleeping. Some thermostats are programmable so that you can set the temperature to automatically decrease at night and return to warmer levels during the day.
Another option is to aim for bare minimum needs and not what makes you comfortable. Get used to wearing sweaters indoors and long johns under your pants. If you can keep it tolerable inside instead of warm enough to lounge around in your underwear, you’ll save drastically on heating costs.
Cooking at home is another cost-saving way to heat your home. Using the stove, oven, and cooking meals like soups, or stews allows you to heat the kitchen with waste heat while preparing your food. You’ll also find warm beverages and reheated stews will warm you up from the inside after you’ve eaten.
Eliminate drafts by making sure all your windows are closed tightly and keep interior doors closed between different sections of the house to minimize airflow from outside.
Work from home? Use a space heater to save on heating costs by only warming the room where you’re working and spending the majority of your time. You can also update the insulation on the home if it’s older. This will prevent heat loss through floors, ceilings, and walls.
You should also have regular maintenance on your heating system to make sure it’s performing at optimal efficiency and not costing you extra money. Make sure to regularly attend to air filters in HVAC systems. They typically require replacement once or twice a year depending on the filter.
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