While Oklahoma City doesn’t see the coldest winters on the planet, they still can be a bit chilly. Having a working furnace is a necessity to stay comfortable during the winter. If you’re tired of spending a fortune on your wintertime heating bills, here are some handy tips that you can implement to reduce your heating costs.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
One method for saving a bundle on your wintertime heating bills is investing in a programmable thermostat. With these devices, you can actually program the temperature in your home to be different depending on the time of day and week. This means that you could have your home temperature colder during the daytime when no one is at home. This uses less energy throughout the day and lowers your overall heating costs.
Seal Your Ducting
It may come as a big surprise to you that your ductwork could be costing you hundreds of dollars every year in lost heat. Over time, holes and gaps can develop in the ducting that runs throughout the walls of your home. As the hot air is forced towards the supply vents in your home, it can escape into the wall cavities. This wastes all that hot air as it isn’t delivered to the rooms in your home. It’s highly advisable that you contact a professional to come in and seal up the ductwork in your home so that you don’t lose any of your precious heat.
Free Your Vents
Each room throughout your home has vents that work to supply warm air. Any obstructions placed in front of the vent can reduce your heating system’s ability to properly warm that room. This causes your heating system to constantly overwork. You can prevent this by assessing all the supply vents in your home and ensuring that there is a free flow of air around them.
Use Reflectors
If your home heating system is comprised of radiators, you may be losing a good amount of heat through your exterior walls. Radiators are designed to output heat in all directions. This includes letting heat out the back of the radiator towards the exterior wall. To prevent this heat loss, it’s best to use reflective material. Position the material directly behind radiators that are against an exterior wall so that they can reflect the heat back towards the center of the room.
Use Humidifiers
In the wintertime, there’s not a lot of moisture in the air. This dry air allows for itchy skin and can make you feel colder than the temperature would indicate. One easy way to help warm up the feel of your home is to use humidifiers. These work to put moisture back in the air and allow your body to feel that the temperature in the environment is actually warmer than what it really is.
Let In the Sunlight
You should open up blinds and curtains when the sun comes out to allow the sun’s rays to penetrate your home. When you use the sun to heat up the inside of your home, you’ll end up using your heating system less often.
Turn Ceiling Fans On
Ceiling fans are a lot cheaper to run than your home heating system, and when used strategically, they can help keep your home warm. When you turn on your ceiling fan and have the blades spinning in a clockwise direction, it forces the air at the top of the room upward. This air is then forced to travel towards the walls and down towards the floor. By running ceiling fans on a regular basis, you can constantly recirculate the heated air in your home and run your heating system less while remaining comfortable.
Insulate Better
Insulation is intended to be a barrier between the inside of your home and the outdoors. When you have little or no insulation in your home, the cold air from outdoors can seep inside. It’s a good idea to add more insulation to your home to create a thicker and less penetrable barrier.
Premier Heating Service Professional
TS Heat & Air is your premier heating professional for Oklahoma City. We’re also here for all of your cooling, air purification, new construction, and indoor air quality needs. Just give us a call today to schedule an appointment and get the assistance that you need.
