Saving on Electric Bills This Winter

With the winter months approaching, you may start using more energy. Actions like turning up the heater and using electronics as you spend more time indoors will increase your energy bill. This can make your budget feel a bit tighter, especially in northern areas that see extremely low temperatures and consistent snowfall. With these colder months just around the corner, you may be wondering how to save money on your electric bill during winter.

Luckily, there are several ways you can achieve lower electric bills. Below are ten winter energy-saving tips that can help you stay warm this winter while keeping more money in your bank account at the end of the month. Discover how to make your home energy efficient for winter!

1. Let the Sun in During the Day

The sun is a free source of warmth all year long. You can tap into its full potential during the winter months by using it to warm your home without paying an extra dime.

When the sun’s rays shine through your windows, the room will heat up. This is a phenomenon known as solar gain. The thermal energy rises in the room thanks to the sun shining directly through the windows, raising the room’s temperature by several degrees without turning up your thermostat.

Know when the sun shines directly into your home’s windows and open your drapes and curtains during these hours. You’ll utilize solar gain to its fullest advantage and enjoy warmer rooms within your home.

2. Close Curtains and Drapes at Night

While windows are great for letting sunlight pass through for solar gain, they can be a culprit for lost heat after the sun has gone down. Winter nights can be quite cold, and it’s easy for the heat in your home to leak out through thin windowpanes and leaky window frames. You need a layer of protection against this heat transfer, and that’s where your curtains and drapes come into play.

Be sure to close your drapes after sundown to provide some extra insulation to your windows. Doing this will keep more heat in your rooms while ensuring your heater avoids overexertion as it tries to maintain a set temperature in your home. Your heater will use more energy trying to heat up rooms where a portion of the heat is leaking out through the windows.

3. Eliminate Air Leaks and Drafts

Speaking of air leaks, you can take other measures to ensure your home is sealed up to keep more heat in and cold air out. These include using caulking, door sweeps and other sealing products to close gaps throughout your home. Areas to check include the following:

Windows
Doors
Walls
Electrical outlets
Fireplaces

If your home has a fireplace, be sure to close the vent when not in use. This will stop warm air from leaving your home.

4. Adjust Your Water Heater

Your water heater uses energy every day to provide warm water throughout your house. But in the colder months, it has to work even harder to maintain steady heat levels according to your set temperature. This can lead to higher energy bills, especially if your water heater is susceptible to heat loss.

You can save money by switching your water heater to the warm setting, which heats the water to 120 F. Besides saving energy, this temperature will help you avoid accidental scalding.

5. Lower Your Thermostat

Cranking up your thermostat on chilly winter days may be a quick solution to feel warmer, but this will cause your energy bills to skyrocket. To save money, you should turn your thermostat as low as possible while still being comfortable when you’re at home and awake. Turn it down a few degrees more when you’re sleeping to save even more money. Every degree lower you set your thermostat will translate to more money in your bank account at the end of the month.

6. Switch to a Smart Thermostat

If you want even more control over your thermostat, a smart thermostat may be the solution for you. Smart thermostats give you plenty of great money-saving features, including setting schedules for different temperatures and controlling your thermostat’s temperature from anywhere with your smartphone and an internet connection. With detailed customization and control options, a smart thermostat can help you avoid unnecessary energy consumption with your heating system this winter.

7. Check Your Insulation

Your home’s insulation has a huge impact on its energy efficiency. With poor insulation in your walls, ceilings and attic, you could be letting your expensive heat out of your home all winter long. Another result is that your heater will experience more wear and tear as it works harder to keep your house warm.

Make sure your home’s insulation is up to spec. You may need to hire a professional to inspect your home to determine whether you need more insulation, especially your exterior walls and attic.

8. Use a Timer for Holiday Lights

Another factor that contributes to massive energy consumption during the winter months is the use of holiday lighting. Holiday decorations are a staple for many households across the country, but these decorations come with a high energy price tag. We recommend using timers for holiday lights to turn off the spectacle after a certain hour when you and most people in your neighborhood will be asleep anyway. Choose the best times you want your lights on and save money by keeping them off during the other times.

9. Bundle Up

One of the most economical ways to save money on your home’s energy bills this winter is to dress warmly. Experiment with lower temperatures in your house while wearing warm clothes like socks, sweaters and thick garments. You may find the lower temperatures inside to be much more tolerable than you expected when you dress appropriately.

10. Prepare Your Heating System for Winter

Knowing how to lower your electric bill in the winter starts with understanding your heating system. An outdated, worn-out or malfunctioning heating system can cost a lot of money to run and maintain. You want your heating system to be as efficient as possible to ensure you’re only paying for what you need to stay warm and comfortable. Have a professional inspect your heating system and perform maintenance if necessary.

Call Drake’s Construction & Restoration to Prepare Your Heater for Winter

Preparing your heating system for winter is the key to saving money on your energy bills this winter. Drake’s Construction & Restoration offers local heating services in the Parkersburg, West Virginia area. We can perform professional maintenance services to repair faulty heaters or perform heating system installation if that’s what you need.