For folks in Downriver Michigan, winter is here and bearing down upon us. But even with the frigid temperatures and sometimes snow you can still save on your electric and utility bills. There are a few things that you can do to help reduce the cost of heating this winter and some of them only take a small investment and have a huge return. Check out the following tips on reducing your heating costs this winter in Downriver Michigan.
Save Money and Reduce Your Heating Costs This Winter in Downriver Michigan
One of the first things that you can do to help with your heating costs this year is to turn that thermostat down a degree or two. Just by moving the thermostat 2 degrees you can save as much as 6% of your heating bills.
Another great way to save is by getting a programmable thermostat. By using the latest thermostat technologies you can have a huge impact on your utility bills. You’re able to use much less energy during times when no one is home. Or during the night when reducing the thermostat by a few degrees won’t matter as much.
Some of the more advanced thermostats offer smart phone connectivity so you can monitor and adjust the thermostat from anywhere. Look at some of the latest models from Nest and Trane Heating for more details.
Keep Heat Transfer to a Minimum
If you have kids that love to play outside this can be a tough tip to implement. But each time a door is opened to the outside cold you heater must kick in and warm the room back up. If this happens constantly you could be using a huge amount of energy just to keep up. Try to keep heat transfers such as opening doors constantly to a minimum. Also leaving a door open for longer periods of time can have the same effect.
Consider Getting Baseboard Heaters for Those Hard to Heat Spots
We all have that one or two rooms in our homes that just don’t warm up with the rest of the house. So the occupants of these rooms tend to bump up the thermostat to compensate. Of course this puts a much larger load on the rest of the home heating costs. In order to get the desired heat in the desired area you may decide to put in baseboard heaters as an addition to your current heating system.
Baseboard heaters are attached to the baseboard and provide heat using electricity typically. However, some baseboard heaters are powered by natural gas or propane. A baseboard heater can give you that extra heat in places in your home that don’t seem to warm up the way the rest of the house does.
I hope these tips have given you some ideas on ways you can save energy in your home this winter. For folks in Downriver Michigan and surrounding areas it’s important to have a working heating system because the cold weather is coming. It helps to be prepared.