Keep Your Home Warm for Less

It is winter time in Texas, recently the temperature has dropped and people are turning on the heaters for the first time this year.  Courtesy of BW James here are a few tips you can use to reduce the cost of your heating bill during these cold months.

Turn Down the Thermostat

This one is kind of a “duh” tip, but you’d be surprised how many people forget to do it.  Turning down the thermostat when you head off to work and when you go to bed can add up to at least 16 hours a day and save you about 14% on your heating bill.  In fact the rule of thumb is that you save about 3% on your heating bill for every degree that you set back on your thermostat full time.

Watch Those Fans

In just one hour, a hard-working bathroom or kitchen fan can completely expel a houseful of warm air.  Use them when you need to and shut them off when the job is done.

Close the Fireplace Damper

Heat rises, and an open damper is essentially a hole in the roof.  In fact you should limit the use of your fireplace, since fires actually suck the heat from a room.  Light it when you want the ambience they provide, but really they aren’t viable for heating the house in conjunction with central heat.

Turn Down the Water Heater

Reducing the temperature of the water in the water heater to 115-120 degrees reduces the power use without a noticeable difference when you take that morning shower.

Open the Curtains

When the sun is up, let it in.  Opening curtains and shades on south-facing windows during the day allows solar radiation to warm a living space, just remember to close them at night to reduce the heat from escaping.

These are some cost-free ways to reduce that heating bill.  We hope everyone stays warm this winter, and hopefully these tips can allow you to do so for less.  

For more information about the professionals at BW James visit http://www.bwjames.com