Save Money on Heating!
October 30, 2014
The calendar has flipped to November and it only gets colder from here. I know I had my heat on as of about a month ago so I am always looking for ways to save on heating costs! Some of these tips will be very helpful. However, I do quite enjoy using my heating unit, two electric fireplaces, and candles to create a “tropical” environment in my apartment all winter long. (Side note: The bullet titled “Bundle Up” made me laugh because I need my beach feel!)
1. Lower Your Thermostat
A toasty apartment in the winter is nice, but if no one’s home to enjoy the comfort, you’re wasting money (not to mention energy). If you leave the apartment each day for work, turn your thermostat down three to five degrees. If you go away for the weekend or for a longer period of time, turn the thermostat down up to ten degrees.
2. Use Window Treatments Wisely
Keep blinds and curtains open during the daytime to let in sunlight. The more natural warmth you can get, the less you’ll need to pay for heating. Also, close your blinds and curtains after sunset to keep the warm air inside and prevent cold air that may be coming in through openings in your windows from spreading into your apartment.
3. Heat Only the Rooms That Need It
Don’t waste money heating rooms in your apartment that you don’t use much. For instance, say you have a spare bedroom in your apartment that you use for storage. Close heating vents or lower individual thermostats so that the room doesn’t get as much heat as the rest of your apartment. Once you’ve set the room to be cooler, be sure to keep the door closed so that the cooler air doesn’t escape into the rest of your apartment.
4. Move Furniture Away From Vents
Avoid placing sofas or other large pieces of furniture directly in front of a low wall heating vent, on top of a floor vent, or in front of a wall heating unit. If your options are limited, be creative. For example, if you must keep your sofa along the wall where a vent is located, move the sofa a foot or so away from the wall to allow the warm air to circulate.
5. Never Turn Your Heat OFF
When you are really trying to save on heating costs, you might think it’s wise to just turn the heat off when you’re gone. Wrong-Are-You. Unless we experience some kind of freakish weather pattern this winter where it’s more than 75 degrees for a couple of weeks straight, leave your heat on. Not turning the thermostat all the way to zero when you’re away may seem counterintuitive, but it requires more energy to turn the heat on and off than to simply increase the temperature when needed.
6. Bundle Up
Although this may seem obvious, wear extra layers while inside. There’s no reason you should be wandering around in shorts and a tank top. Break out those thick wool socks, knit caps, and sweaters (a lightweight sweater can add around 2 degrees of warmth!)
7. If You Love To Cook, Go For It
Use the time you’re inside wisely by preparing nutritious homemade meals in the oven or on the stovetop (this also helps to naturally humidify the air). During the colder months this will add a bit of much-needed warmth to your apartment. Also by cooking at home during the winter, you’ll save a bundle on cash otherwise spent ordering-in Chinese food and pizza! Its ok to cave to those cravings sometimes, though… in the winter, sometimes Chinese, a movie, and a fireplace is the perfect way to spend a chilly, snowy night!