Reducing your energy bills requires a little bit of planning combined with a good dose of common sense.
Use these tips to save on your energy bills during cold months.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
Both oil and gas heating systems offer programmable thermostats. These devices are quite easy to use and provide you with convenient comfort. Program the thermostat to lower the heat before you go to sleep at night.
Allow your covers to keep you warm while you’re not up and about in your home. Set the thermostat to raise the temperature before you wake up. Nothing feels better on a cold winter day then waking up to a warm, toasty home.
Adjusting the temperature at the right times helps you save on fuel costs. Avoid wasting heat when you’re sleeping and turn it up before you wake to save on energy bills.
Program the thermostat to lower the temperature when you’re at work or when your kids are in school. Save energy and money by keeping your home cooler when nobody is around.
Adjust by 5 to 10 Degree Increments
When lowering the heat before bed time or raising the temperature before waking experiment with 5 to 10 degree increments to find your home’s temperature sweet spot.
Cut down your heating bills by lowering and raising the temperature by more than a few degrees. If you learn more about thermostats you can see that your temperature threshold is much higher than you may think.
Contrary to popular belief you don’t need to raise the temperature above your desired level to heat your home more quickly after lowering the temperature overnight. This only boosts your energy bills and reduces energy efficiency.
Save fuel and money by simply setting the temperature at your desired level. If you feel comfortable with the indoor climate being at 72 degrees program your thermostat for this temperature when you wake in the morning or for when you return home from work.
Lower the Thermostat for Weekend Trips
If you’re away for the weekend and don’t have any pets in the house lower the thermostat to 55 degrees. You can avoid freezing your water pipes and save significantly on your heating bills by lowering the temperature to this level.
Be careful about lowering the temperature if you have pets which need a warmer temperature to stay healthy. Your iguana or tropical parrot may not be too keen on your energy savings if the temperature drops to dangerous levels for them.
Establish a Baseline Comfortable Temperature
Unless you’re experiencing some drastic Arctic chill or a brutal blizzard the temperatures in your climate usually don’t fluctuate too much during fall and winter months. Since the temperature doesn’t change dramatically on the outside on a day to day basis you can establish a baseline comfortable temperature for your home to boost energy savings.
Instead of jacking up your home’s temperature to 82 degrees when you feel a little bit chilling and boosting your energy bills in the process set the thermostat to 72 degrees or your desired comfortable temperature. Your home will heat up quickly and you’ll save on fuel costs too if you maintain a baseline comfortable temperature in your home.