Hey, Dan here. I've been visiting some blog posts from last year to see if I can pull some more information on our most popular articles to help make your life easier.

Our second most popular from 2018 was How to Save Money on Heating This Winter, so I've decided to jump in and revamp to help you save money this winter again!

These tips are simple & easy, so be sure to put aside some time this weekend to save yourself some extra cash during these frigid months.

 

Use Fans to Circulate Air

 

We all know that heat rises, which is really aggravating. You're basically paying money to heat the outdoors. 

An easy way to combat this and get the most out of money spent on heating costs is to use fans to circulate air. 

All you have to do is set your fan on low to circulate air upward toward the ceiling. This forces the warmer air that's risen to get trapped at the ceiling back down towards the floor, re-capturing heat that's doing nothing except slowly peel your ceiling paint.

 

Pay Attention to Vents & Radiators

 

 

This is commonly overlooked, but can make a huge difference in maintaining heat. There are two main things to keep in mind here:

1. Keep them clean

• Clean the build up of dust from your radiators & baseboard regularly, it only takes maybe 10 minutes a month.
• Not only will it help your heating costs, but also make your furnace last longer.
  
  2. Keep them clear

• When I say clear I mean to make sure that vents are not blocked by rugs or furniture. You might have to do some rearranging, but it's worth it.
• This allows air to circulate freely, which also puts less strain on your furnace.

 

Spend an Afternoon Checking Your Windows

 

 

On average, around 10-25% of heat loss is due to windows. That's a lot of money spent melting snow.

There are 3 easy tips you can implement today to try and save some of that lost heat:

1. During daylight hours, open curtains and shades facing south to allow the heat of the sun to warm your home.
   
   
2. During nighttime, keep curtains and blinds closed. Believe it or not, the thin veil that curtains and blinds provide keep a lot of heat inside.
   
   
3. If you really want to trap heat inside, you can invest in heavy curtains. Or you can do what my household did growing up; Cover windows by thumb-tacking heavy blankets into the drywall. Hey, we did what we had to do.

 

Shut the Doors

 

Of course any doors leading outside should be kept shut, this is common knowledge. A little known fact is that keeping interior doors shut also can help with your heating bill.

If the room isn't used, why heat it? Close the vent & shut the door when no one is in there.

Shutting the door can also increase the room's temperature by trapping heat produced by your body, lights, and other electronics.

 

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Making small changes like this can put a surprising dent in your heating bill.

Save money, reduce waste, stress less... everybody wins!

Do you have any tricks I missed? Let me know in the comments!

Dan
Author
FNDN

P.S. Most of your body heat is lost through your head. If you feel warmer, you'll feel less inclined to turn on the heat.

Keep that noggin warm & cozy with our brand-new 2019 FNDN Heated Hat!