How can you help keep your home warm in the winter without incurring an extremely high electric bill? We have some ideas.
During the fall and winter months, people tend to bundle up at home as the temperature outside drops lower and lower. But sometimes, no matter how many blankets, robes, and slippers, and warm layers you have, eventually you’ll have to turn the heat on in your home. But as every homeowner (or business owner) knows, when you do that, you can expect your electric bill to start to skyrocket.
You might have memories growing up and not being allowed to touch the thermostat during winter. Back then, you probably felt annoyed—and cold, but now you know the adults were just trying to save money. So, is it inevitable that you can’t keep your home cozy and warm during the winter without costing you and arm and a leg? Not exactly! We’ve got some ideas to help keep your bill stable this season.
Taking advantage of your home’s features
One of the best tips for saving money on your electric bill during these cold months is to use what’s at your fingertips.
For instance, if you have ceiling fans in your home, then leave them on. The versatile (and common in Texas) ceiling fan that helps cool homes in the summer can also help warm your home in the winter! Running a ceiling fan in the winter might seem counter-intuitive,, but it can help redistribute air by creating an updraft that pushes the warm air down around the space. So during colder months, set your ceiling fans to run clockwise at a low speed. You’ll definitely feel warmer!
Next, make sure you don’t have any furniture or rugs covering vents in your home. You don’t want to block off any warm air trying to get in. Also, to help cut down on your bill, close any vents and doors in unused rooms.
Finally, if your home has a fireplace, then make sure you’re using it safely to heat up your living space. With a fireplace, you can turn the heat down for even more savings.
Adjusting your thermostat can help with electricity costs
If you have a programmable thermostat, then it’s time to adjust those settings! Lowering the thermostat a bit at night and while you’re not home can actually save you upwards of 10 or even 20 percent on your electric bill.
And while you might be accustomed to keeping your house at a balmy 74 degrees in the winter, the setting doesn’t need to be that high to keep you warm, even at night.
Studies have shown that sleeping in a cooler temperature is better for you. So, by manually adjusting or programming that thermostat to go down at night or even before you go to sleep, you’ll be saving money and improving your health. That’s a win-win.
Investing in a backup generator
One of the hardest parts of winter is not completely knowing how the storms will affect you, especially your power. Even in West Texas, wind, ice, snow, sleet, and wintry mixes can cause a power outage at a moment’s notice. During bad and frigid weather, you’ll definitely want to make sure your home is fully prepared—and warm.
Unfortunately, power outages are common this time of year, so having a backup generator is a cost-effective and smart investment to help keep your home nice and toasty, no matter what happens.
When it’s cold, you might be tempted to crank your thermostat up to 80 degrees in an effort to keep your home, office, or business warm—ideal but costly.
And, don’t want to push your HVAC system too hard. With a few methods, you can help your system increase the heat while decreasing the cost. Your wallet will thank you.