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Insights on money, career and trading

Prevent Your House from Leaking Money this Winter

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Daniel at 4:17 pm

Winter is a long cold season that involves a lot of money to heat your home and keep it warm and toasty. With the climbing cost of fuel and electricity, many people spend a small fortune just to maintain the house at temperature comfortable. To manage the heating costs, here are some tips that will result in living comfortably while spending less.

  1. Seal Air Leaks

New homes are better at keeping heat inside, but you’ll notice that older homes are much less efficient. You’ll notice they allow cold air in while drawing hot air out, hence the need to seal whatever leaks you may find around the windows and doors. If the weather-stripping around the entrances and windows appear worn out, replace them. Warm air can also leak into unfinished attic spaces resulting in heat loss and increased heating costs.Any cuts made on the wall or ceiling to fix electrical or other fixtures like ceiling fans can also leak air in and out of the house. Using silicone or latex caulk can save you up to 30% of heating costs. Consider an energy audit by professionals to find all air leaks and to give you the best recommendations; be wary of those who just want to sell you their products, yet come in the pretext of giving you professional advice.

  1. Sparingly Use the Fireplace

You may argue against this in the beginning, but the furnace pulls air out through the damper that must remain open when the fireplace is being used; when not using the fireplace, close the damper. The best solution is to block the airflow by installing an inflatable balloon that is easily available at the store. These balloons can automatically deflate in case you forget to remove them before lighting the fireplace

  1. Use a Portable Heater Instead of the Furnace

A space heater can be used in selected places where your family gathers allowing you to turn down the fireplace or furnace. Even though you will be using electricity to keep the house warm, the overall cost savings throughout the winter will be greater than using the furnace. This ensures that you only heat the part of the house that you want to, instead of the entire house, which is much more expensive.

  1. Insulate the Attic Door

You may have properly insulated the attic, but overlooked its access door. This can allow air to escape through warped or obstructed doors, especially if they are poorly insulated. This results in increased heating costs during the winter months. Find professional help to seal this leak and enjoy lower energy costs as you keep your house comfortable all through the year.

  1. Consider Upgrading your Thermostat

Instead of using a manual thermostat, that carries the possibility of forgetting to set at night or when you are not home, use a programmable thermostat. Using this, you can turn down the temperatures by about 10 degrees when you are away during the day or asleep at night, therefore, saving your heating bills by at least 10 percent. These work great for saving money when you already have efficient heating systems like the ones installed from this site https://castlehomecomfort.com/ in place.

However, if you want the next level technology then go for a learning thermostat that learns your lifestyle and makes adjustments accordingly, so you don’t have to program it; it can even begin warming your home when you are returning home or about to wake up in the morning!

You can set the temperatures lower (at about 68 degrees) and save 15 percent or even more in heating costs. If this is too chilly for you, then wear a sweater and some slippers to augment the heating system and save during the winter season. When you’re asleep, you can set it at 62 degrees and when you go out during the day, set the temperatures at the minimum of 55 degrees.

  1. Maximize on Insulation

The most crucial component of keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer is to insulate; the proper level of insulation in your walls and attic ensures you save money, since losing heat in the cold months can increase your energy bills by about 30 percent. Using a higher R-value will mean you lose the least amount of heat or allow the least amount of heat in during summer. Proper insulation of the attic will give you significant savings since heat rises into the attic and may escape if poor insulation is in place.

  1. Geothermal Heat Pump System

This technology is gaining ground as a very cost effective way to heat the house during winter and keep it cool during summer and keep the house climate comfortable all through the year. It uses the stable ground heat to warm the house. The piping loops and the heat pump use water to transfer heat from the earth to the house and cold temperatures from the house to the ground. This heating and cooling system are very efficient, renewable, and energy saving.

Author Bio- Elizabeth is on the content team for Dynasty Partners. She enjoys finding ways to save money and spending time with her family. Her husband and two children like to ski, hike, and travel in their free time.

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Insights on money, career and trading