How to Reduce Your Heating Bill

                                                                                         

While Austin is known for its warm sunny weather, there are those few months where every year, when the temperature drops, it begins to get cold and we watch our heating bills rise. During the winter season, nearly two-thirds or your electricity (or gas) bill is devoted to heating spaces, often during times that they are not being used. Austin is a city that is turning green and though most of the efforts are concentrated on reducing energy consumption and our carbon footprint during the peak summer months, there are several easy and relatively inexpensive things you can do to lower your energy consumption in the winter and bring down your overall heating cost.

One of the easiest things to do, that requires little to no money at all, is to take advantage of the natural heat and light that comes in through your windows during the day. Instead of cranking up the heater, start by opening up your blinds and curtains to let in the natural heat from the sun. When working at home, take advantage of this natural light and keep those light bulbs off. This is true throughout the year. At night, you should take the opposite approach. Make sure to keep your curtains and drapes shut tight. This will help keep the heat inside your home and the cold air out.

You should also make sure that your seals are in good working order. Make sure that the weather sealing on all of your windows and doors are working properly. To test your seals, simply run your hand along the edges of your doors and windows and see if you feel any cold coming in. If there is a strong draft coming from under your door, you can always use a rolled up towel to keep the warm air in and the cold air out. Double-pane windows are by far the best for saving energy and if you are planning on replacing your old windows anytime soon, then this is absolutely the best route. If you have single pane windows, during the winter months you seal them with sheets of plastic to help keep your home nice and cozy.

Good insulation, while costly, will save you money in the long run. Make sure that your attic is properly insulated. If there is a large crawl space under your home, you may want to consider insulating it to keep the floors of your home warmer. If you have an older model water heater, you may want to consider adding insulation. You can also insulate any exposed water pipes that you may have, as the water in them tends to cool. You should also turn your water heater down, keeping it under 120 degrees. You can also save energy and money by turning down your thermostat. Every degree that you turn down your heater, is money that you will be saving on your energy bill. If you have an older model thermostat, you may want to consider replacing it with a new model that is programmable. This will help regulate your energy consumption throughout the day, especially in those hours in which you are not home.

There are many easy, and inexpensive ways to reducing your energy consumption and in turn reduce your own and our city’s overall carbon footprint. In doing so you are helping the environment and saving yourself money.

About the author:
Ki works as an Austin Realtor. His site provides information and statistics on the Austin real estate market along with a free search of the Austin MLS for buyers researching the Austin market.

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