Many homeowners are used to receiving higher bills in the wintertime due to the costs of home heating. Trust us when we tell you that while we understand that heating your home can be expensive, there are ways to save on your home heat this winter by looking into a few factors that could be causing your bill to be higher than it needs to be!
Here are a few suggestions of what to check within your home to see if any of these factors could be the reason your bill is high:
- Insulation: poor insulation can be a big factor when it comes to why your heating bill is higher than it needs to be. It certainly makes sense; if the heat that is being pumped into your home is not being retained within your indoor space, the heating system has to work harder and harder to produce enough heat to get to the temperature that you’ve set.
One of the clues that your insulation is a problem is a lack of warmth within your home even when you’ve set the thermostat to a warm temperature. This is a sign that your insulation is not sufficient. If you think this could be your problem, you need to have your insulation inspected. This will help you to understand what condition it’s in and what you may need to do to fix it.
- Ductwork Leaks: this is a common issue for homes that have a forced-air heating system. If there are leaks in the ductwork, you have the same issue as above; the hot air is getting wasted by leaking out instead of being forced (as it should) into the rooms in your home that you would like to heat.
You can check on this by listening, feeling, and seeing if you can determine that a leak exists in your ductwork. If there is a leak, it’s time to call a professional! This is not a time for a DIY home project. Ductwork leaks can be difficult to get to and require professional expertise to fix.
- Furnace: all furnaces have a certain lifespan. Most last about 25 years. When you have an older furnace, you should consider replacing it. As furnaces age, they can lose their efficiency. While the cost to purchase a furnace is not cheap, a well-working furnace can actually save you money in the long run because it will be working at full strength as opposed to one that could be working at about 80% if it’s dated.
This is also a job for a professional. By making sure you keep up with routine maintenance, you can ensure that all of the parts are working properly, there are no carbon monoxide leaks and no rust or dirt is forming in unwanted places.
When it comes to home heating, you can trust Clay’s Climate Control to guide you in the right direction this winter! We’ll be happy to help you figure out how you can save on your heating bill. Give us a call today at 609-916-1106!
