It is winter time again and along with that comes the cold weather for most of us. I live in an area that does not get much snow for the winter but the wind does get the place feeling quite cold at times. We recently dropped down into the 40s and with the wind chill it felt like I was turning into an icicle!!!!
It is tempting to turn the heater up as high as possible to get away from the chill but you need to take into consideration the high bills that will come along with that and ruin your budget in the upcoming months. I am not saying that you need to freeze to death in your home but I do have a few tips that will help you not have to face the bill shock that usually comes along with the winter chills.
-Improve your insulation. This may be hard if you rent your home but you can still do a few simple checks. I noticed that there was a draft around one of the windows so I put an old towel on the window sill to block the flow of cold air coming in. It was a simple fix and it did not cost me any extra money to do, yet I now have less cold air flowing into my apartment so I don’t need to run the heater as much.
The maintenance people put in some new rubber insulation around the bottom of the front door and that blocked the draft in that area as well, reducing the need to have extra heat pumped into the living room. When I was in college we also put a towel around the front door but that was a bit of a problem as people kept coming in and out of the front door.
Wear more layers. I am not saying that you need to bundle up like an Eskimo while the temperatures in your home are slightly above freezing..but there is no need to have the thermostat set to 80 degrees either. Simply find a setting that is comfortable and then turn it down a few degrees to where you feel slightly cool if you are wearing a tee shirt and shorts. Then throw on some sweats and socks and instantly feel the difference. I wear socks to keep my feet warm and will wear something with long sleeves in the house, so I keep my thermostat about 68 degrees so it can kick in if the rooms get too cold.
These two easy steps will certainly help you to save money on your heating bills this winter and will help you to keep your budget on track.
Great ideas. This could be really helpful in lowering our bills.. Thanks.
Great ideas! I have to weather-proof my house yet. It is getting mighty cold out, and I can certainly feel the drafts. Another tip — if you work from home in one room of the house, a space heater really comes in handy! I can keep my thermostat much lower now and crank up my little heater. If you don’t work from home, programmable thermostats are a godsend — program it for 50 degrees during the day and have it kick in 1/2 hour before you get home.
I use a space heater at home too since we tend to congregate in one room and it does not make sense to heat the whole apartment for two people and a cat.
Good tip about the programmable thermostat. That can definitely save a lot of money. Then you are not paying to heat your house around the clock. Since I’m just renting an apartment too, we just use a space heater for whatever room we’re in. It is such a waste when people crank their heat and then walk around in shorts.
Great advice on how to lower your heating bill with a couple of simple tricks. I am curious if you have ever checked out these new energy saving devices that are touted to “condition” your electricity and therefore make your home appliances operate more efficiently? The big name for one online right now is The Zap Box, and it is fairly costly for initial install, but if their claims are true, it could pay for itself in a few months by reducing your electricity bill. I am sure there will be more affordable brands coming to fruition in the following year or two, so it might be something to research…
I have never looked at those devices because I unplug my appliances when I am not using them and I think I do a pretty good job. Maybe when I move to a house and have more appliances to worry about that might be more in line for me.
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Great tips. I find most cold area’s tend to be around the windows and light sockets, especially if the sockets are on an outside wall, so make sure these areas are properly insulated is very important.