Three Ways To Reduce Your Heating Costs
Everyone wants to save money, especially during wintertime when monthly home heating bills can be sky-high. J.D. Swallow, a respected provider of heating and cooling services near Ottawa, offers these three surefire ways to reduce your heating costs.
Optimize Your Thermostat
The easiest way to save money on your monthly heating bill is to lower your thermostat. Believe it or not, even dropping your home’s temperature by 2 – 3 degrees makes a big difference. Many homeowners become attached to a certain temperature range and don’t want to drop below it for fear of being uncomfortable. If this sounds like you, we recommend lowering the thermostat by a degree at a time and seeing how you feel. From a money point of view, we guarantee you’ll feel a lot better when you see the reduction in your monthly bill.
Another option is to purchase a programmable thermostat. It’s amazing how quickly this technology has grown in popularity, as well as functionality, and its cost-savings benefits are already well-known. With a programmable thermostat, you can set a specific temperature for certain times of day, and for certain rooms. You can also set the thermostat to maintain a low temperature while everyone’s away at work and school, and then have it heat up once people start returning home. These thermostats don’t cost an arm and a leg, and the value they provide is enormous.
Insulate Your Home
Even the best thermostat can’t compensate for heat escape due to lack of good home insulation. If you’ve ever had the experience of returning home on a cold night, raising the temperature on your thermostat, and feeling like nothing’s happening, you know what we’re talking about. Air escape is a big waste of energy, not to mention quite costly.
Heat rises, which is why it’s so important to properly insulate your home’s attic. And if you live in an older home, you’ll want to have the walls inspected and insulated too. Every crack and hole, no matter how tiny, costs you money. If your home is new and/or well insulated, there are still a few things you can do to prevent heat-escape. For example, if you’re partial to building a fire in wintertime, make sure to close the damper once the fire is out. Also, keep your home’s windows closed, and avoid turning on the ventilation fan in your bathroom and kitchen.
Have Your HVAC System Inspected
A faulty/old HVAC system is also a common cause of higher heating bills. If your thermostat is working well and your home is nicely insulated, it pays to contact our local HVAC company and have us inspect your system. It could be that you just need a new air filter, or there could be a bigger problem – i.e. a blocked radiator or an obstructed air duct. There’s also a chance, depending on the age of your HVAC unit, that you need a new system. All of these are reasons why you could be paying too much for your monthly heat needs.
Benefits Of Working With Us
J.D. Swallow offers decades of professional HVAC expertise. With great benefits like no extra fees for evenings or weekends, competitive pricing, and our punctuality guarantee, it’s easy to see why we’re one of the most popular HVAC companies in Ottawa. Contact us today and let’s discuss your needs.