This holiday season you’ll be buying a lot of gifts for others, but don’t forget about yourself. No one likes paying the bills, but you can give yourself the gift of a lower gas bill this holiday season to make it a bit easier by following these tips.
Turn Down the Thermostat
The most gas-guzzling appliances in your home are usually your water heater and furnace. The easiest way to lower your gas bill is simply to ask these appliances to do less. You probably know where your air thermostat is, but you may not realize your water heater also has a thermostat. It’s right on the outside of the water heater. Usually, these are set to about 140 degrees, but you can safely lower that to around 130 to save some money. The same thing goes for your air thermostat. Lowering your thermostat by just one degree could save you between one and three percent on your monthly bill.
Humidify Your Home
This one goes hand in hand with the last one. The drier your house is the colder it will feel. Heaters dry out the air in your home, sometimes to desertlike levels of 20% or lower. Humidifying your home by adding tropical plants or installing a humidifier.
Change Your Air Filters
You should be changing your air filters every month and never allow your filters to go unchanged for more than three months. This not only makes your indoor air quality worse but it also can hamper the performance of your heating system. Clogged filters take more energy to fight through and can lead to more serious problems that require repairs.
Energy Audit
Our HVAC professionals can inspect your home for potential wastes of energy. Our energy audits will look at the infrastructure of your home and not just your heating habits. We’ll find the exact problem areas of your home where you are losing the most heat and offer our solutions.
Insulation
Without adequate insulation, your home could be leaking heat from your basement and attic constantly. You could be losing 25% of your home’s heat just due to poor insulation. Installing new insulation is a great way to save money in the long run and protect your home from the elements.
Winterizing Your Home
Heat is lost all over your home. Insulation in your basement and attic can go a long way, but there are even more savings to be had in your home. Windows are a great example. Unlocked windows give enough room for heat to escape. Single-pane windows won’t retain heat as well as double or triple-pane windows will. Weatherstripping your doors will do the same thing.
If you’re in need of HVAC service in the Charleston, WV area, we would love to help. Give Dodrill Comfort & Energy Solutions a call at (304) 212-2004. We’re available 24/7!