With winter just around the corner, you might be bracing yourself for an increase in the cost of your energy bills. With colder weather comes a greater need to warm your home, so you end up spending more money than you would in milder seasons. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t save money on these bills. With some planning ahead, you can take simple steps in your home to reduce your energy costs this winter. Here are five things you can do.
Service Your Home’s HVAC System
As the weather gets colder, you’ll be using your HVAC system to heat your home. A faulty HVAC system can be a huge waste of money. Make sure that you bring in a professional to service your system before the weather gets too cold. Between improving your home’s insulation and maintaining your HVAC system, you can save up to 30% on your utility bills!
Invest in a Draft Stopper
There will be cracks in your home that you can’t permanently seal like the space under a door. Purchase a draft stopper to fill the space when the door is closed. These tools will keep the cold air out and the warm air in as long as the door is closed. Look in local stores or search online to find one that fits your home. According to Internet Live Stats, Google processes over 3.5 billion searches each day. Add yours into the mix to find the perfect draft stopper for your home.
Keep the Thermostat Low, Just Not Too Low
Bringing your thermostat down a few degrees can be a great way to reduce your costs while barely making an impact on the comfort level of your home. However, this technique should be used in moderation. Putting the thermostat too low in order to save money can get costly. Almost 85 million homes have a pet, according to the American Pet Products Association. Your pets aren’t able to deal with colder temperatures like you can and can get sick as a result. You also run the risk of frozen pipes when the thermostat is too low. Frozen pipes can burst and cost you a lot of money to repair. So only take the temperature down a little in order to get the benefits on your utility bill.
Unplug Things When You’re Done
While keeping your phone charger plugged into the wall might be convenient, it does cost you a little extra money. Make sure you’re unplugging things when you’re done using them in your home. This will prevent the idle chargers or appliances from using electricity on their own. Depending on how many appliances and chargers you have plugged into your walls, this could cut a decent amount of money off your bills. Make a habit of going through your house and unplugging things when they’re not in use and you’ll easily get those savings.
Bundle Up
It is a lot cheaper to keep yourself warm than it is to heat your home. Wear thick, cozy clothes when the temperature drops, rather than cranking up the heat. While you should still keep your thermostat from going into dangerously low temperatures, you’ll be able to thrive in slightly chillier ones as long as you have comfortable clothes. Stock up on wool socks, sweaters, and soft blankets to keep warm and comfortable on cold nights.
Winter utility bills do not need to completely empty your wallet. By planning ahead and adding a few quick fixes to your home, you can save money on your bills while also remaining warm and comfortable throughout the season. Take some time now to get prepared for the cold weather, then you’ll be able to relax when winter arrives.