What would you say all Vermont residents have in common? If we had to guess, we’d say their desire for affordable comfort in the wintertime. The question is, how do you achieve this? Well, there are a few ways, and we’ll get into them below. But the #1 most important thing you can do to boost heating efficiency and therefore use your heating system as affordably as possible is to schedule routine heating maintenance. During maintenance, our professionals comprehensively clean, adjust, and inspect the components that need it. This all serves to make sure your heater performs powerfully, and again, efficiently.
Read on as we uncover the rest of our tips to boost your heating efficiency this winter.
Lower the Thermostat Setting
No, we don’t want you to freeze yourself and your family out. But the truth is, most people set their thermostats for winter a lot higher than they need to be, particularly because they think it will get their homes warmer faster, or get them to stay warm longer. In actuality, all this really does is cause your furnace to run longer, which means it’s draining more power than it may need to. If you really want to cut back on energy costs, you may want to make a shift in how you use your thermostat. Even an adjustment of just a few degrees can make a huge difference.
Utilize Other Heat Sources
No, no, we don’t want you to use your oven as your primary heat source–especially if it’s a gas-powered oven. But what we want you to consider is how you can or how you are bringing additional heat into the home, and how you may be able to lower your thermostat as a result so your heater doesn’t come on quite so soon. For instance, you can leave curtains and blinds to south-facing windows open to let the natural ambient heat of the sun in. Also, when you do use your oven (for cooking only!) consider how warm you feel and that you might be able to adjust the thermostat during that time, too.
Insulate
Sure, you could wear a jacket in the house, but that’s not super comfortable, right? Rather than that, how about upgrading your insulation? Oftentimes, especially in older homes, homeowners don’t realize how little insulation they have, or the poor quality of their existing insulation. Insulation helps prevent heat transfer, so this is not only beneficial to keep heat in during the winter so your heating system works efficiently, but also keeps heat out during the summer so you can use your air conditioner more efficiently, too!
Change the Air Filter
The air filter that comes with your HVAC systems is in place to protect those HVAC systems from dust, dirt, and other debris that can harm their sensitive components. You should be changing this every 1-3 months depending on the type of filter, to maintain airflow and therefore system efficiency.
When you need a reliable HVAC company for maintenance or expert heating repair in Ludlow, VT, look no further than HB Energy Solutions. Contact us today!
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