How To Save Money On Home Heating Bills This Season

7 Efficiency Tips For Your Home

Cooler weather is coming to Sullivan County – and so are fall and winter heating bills. Want to keep those bills as low as possible? Here are seven energy efficiency tips to help you do it:

1. Keep vents clear – Airflow is a key to keeping your forced air heating system running as efficiently as possible – and save money in the process (if you have vents rather than baseboards or radiators, you have a forced air system). Keep your vents clear of furniture, curtains, and other obstructions.
2. Use your programmable or smart thermostat – A programmable thermostat helps you save money on home heating oil by efficiently managing the temperature of your home throughout the day. Use your thermostat properly and you could save as much as 10 percent on your heating bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. With a Wi-Fi thermostat, you’ll even be able to control of your indoor climate from your smart phone!
3. Take advantage of the sun – Open blinds and curtains during the day to let sun in – just remember to close them at night to keep that warm air in.
4. Reverse your ceiling fan – Your ceiling fans reverse with the flip of a switch; make sure yours is rotating clockwise, which pushes rising warm air back you’re your room.
5. Seal drafts – You could be losing as much as 15 percent of the air you paid to heat through cracks around your doors and windows – not to mention letting cold air in your house, which will make your furnace or boiler overwork to keep you comfortable. Caulking, weather stripping and door sweeps are inexpensive fixes that will do a great job at helping you manage air leaks.
6. Service your heating equipment – An annual tune-up will keep your heating equipment running efficiently and reliably all winter long. Want an even better value? Sign up for a Black Bear Little Paw or Big Paw Service Plan and get that same tune-up plus priority service, discounted repairs, and more – all for one low price.
7. Consider equipment upgrades – The efficiency of a 15-year-old oil furnace or boiler could dip as low as 60 percent – at least 25 percent less than a new model. That means that an upgrade could pay for itself in just a few years in fuel savings alone – even more if you consider what it’s going to cost to repair your older system in the coming years.

Want even more ways to save on heat for your energy bills in Catskill region home this fall? Contact us today to learn about our full line of high efficiency heating equipment from industry-leading brands like Trio, Boyertown, Williamson, and Burnham Mega Steam.