CINCINNATI — We’ve had an abnormally warm November, but that is coming to an end. As temperatures start to drop, your energy bill will likely be going up.
Now is the time to make sure your home is winter ready.
“There are so many steps that homeowners can take to keep their home efficient,” said Amanda Kinsella, with Logan A/C & Heat services.
Experts say you could consider replacing your heating system with a more efficient model.
Kinsella said multi-stage systems help keep the air in your home mixed.
“By doing this, it’s going to lead to a lot less hot and cold spots in your home. Less drafty areas,” she said. “That’s definitely going to help with the way your home feels. If your home feels warmer, you can definitely get away with setting your thermostat back a couple of degrees.”
One low-cost tip is making sure that your furnace filter is clean. Service technicians with Logan A/C & Heat services recommend checking your filter once a month.
Matthew Tyner with Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling & Plumbing said the most common call they get when it starts to get cold is about furnace filters.
Tyner said another way to cut back costs is by bumping your thermostat down a few degrees when you leave for the day. He said one common mistake people make is turning the thermostat down too much.
“Some people will bump it down a lot, but we have to keep in mind when we bump it down several degrees, it will take that much longer for the system to catch up,” Tyner explained. “And when it's trying to catch up. It's spending a lot of energy catching up.”
If you feel like cold air may be getting in through windows or doors, there are some steps you can take.
“There are things we can do to really kind of seal off windows that may be a little bit more leaky or doors really around that bottom edge of the door where there may be space,” Tyner said.
He said you can put a towel around the bottom edge of the door to help conserve energy. Leaving your garage door open can also allow unwanted cold air into your home.
“So making sure to close the garage doors and specifically if you have a water heater in your garage,” he said.
There are no indicators of energy prices decreasing any time soon. It’s recommended you keep up with maintenance on your heating system every six months, instead of waiting for something to go wrong. The preventative measures will end up saving you money in the long run.
