Saving Money on Heating Expenses

I found this posting on Utah Deal Diva and thought I would pass it along.

Even though it's gorgeous outside today, it will be snowing before we know it, so I thought for this week's Thrifty Thursday feature, I'd give some tips on how to save money on your heating expenses. Most of these are very simple things you can do in 5 minutes or less that end up having a big impact on your



* Change the air filters in your home for adequate air flow when the heater is on.

* Change the direction to counter-clockwise on your ceiling fans so they'll push the cold air up and the warm air down. Your heater won't have to work as hard and as a result, you'll save money! Thanks Tamara!

* After you use the oven, leave the door open. Make use of that heat that would otherwise be wasted. Obviously make sure the oven is turned off and kids are safely kept away if you do this!

* Open the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house when the sun is shining and close them as soon as the sun goes down to retain the solar heat. Close curtains on the shady side of the house. Also consider insulated curtains or adding a thermal lining to your existing curtains. I put some up in my kid's rooms and it's helped significantly! {Also an added bonus, it makes the room dark for better naps!}

* If your water heater is in an unheated space like an unfinished basement, wrap an insulation blanket around it to prevent heat loss. Also make sure your water heater is set to only 120 degrees. Anything higher is just unnecessary!

* Don't heat areas of your house you don't use regularly. Close heating vents or turn back thermostats in those areas and close the doors for a painless reduction in heating costs. Also, if you're like us and have only 1 thermostat in a 2-story home, close some of the upstairs vents to direct the heated air to the downstairs, making the temperature of your home more uniform.

* Use a programmable thermostat and be mindful of what you're setting it at. 68 to 70 degrees while you're home and awake, and 60 to 65 degrees while you're asleep or not at home are reasonable temperatures. Setting it too low at night isn't a good idea because it will make your furnace work overtime to compensate when it kicks on. Also, if 68-70 degrees sounds too low for you, I encourage you to try it for a week or two. There's nothing wrong with wearing a sweater at home and it's amazing how quickly you acclimate to the lower temps.