Heat Is Expensive. Here’s How to Slash Your Bill

This story is part of Home TipsCNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.

Temperatures are starting to drop in some parts of the country, which may mean you’ll be turning on your heating for the first time this fall. This also means that you will quickly feel the impact on your wallet when heating costs rise. It’s important to think about winter, especially as utilities and energy experts warn against it Heating bills will increase nationwide by 17%.

With utility bills for electricity, natural gas, and oil potentially skyrocketing, it’s even more important to save on your heating bills. Below we examine five ways you can save on heating bills all winter long, with tips ranging from the simple to the easy lifestyle adjustments to invest better equipment. (You can also Save on heating costs with this small home upgrade and Set your thermostat to this ideal temperature).

1. Reduce the thermostat

We’ve all probably heard that advice. It’s worth repeating, however, as it’s the easiest and most direct way to save on energy bills. It might feel good to keep the home warm so you don’t have to pack as much. However, the US Department of Energy says you could save up to 10% on heating bills annually by turning the thermostat down 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit eight hours a day.

The beauty of turning your thermostat down is that you might be doing it when you’re not home during the day, so you won’t even notice the difference. You can also consider turning the thermostat down at night. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleeping in colder temperatures may actually support our body’s natural temperature drop during the night and lead to more restful sleep. You might want to try and keep your house cooler at night and if you find that you don’t mind or even like it, you’ve just found an easy way to save on heating bills this winter.

Today’s smart thermostats even easier than ever. You simply set a pre-recorded schedule for when to lower the house several degrees and when to raise it several degrees. Set the heating to turn up a little before you get up in the morning and your house will be warm when you need to get out of bed.

Also read: Make the most of your Smart Thermostat to start saving money and energy today

2. Go green with renewable energy

Solar regulates electricity output, so switching to solar doesn’t appear to affect your heating bills. However, if you are running all-electric central heating, you may not have to pay gas heating bills at all. Admittedly, this is the most complicated tip on the list. You may need to invest in a solar system, solar battery and even installing electric central heating. But this is how you avoid the fluctuating natural gas prices.

The great thing about solar is that the modules can still collect energy for your home in winter. They just need a little extra care, like clearing the snow in northern climates or insulating batteries. You can find more information on caring for solar modules in winter in our guide.

You can also check what credits are available for solar in your area and if you qualify, e.g 26% tax credit. Solar panels also have the popular benefit of being able to sell excess energy back to the utilities if your local utility participates.

If you can’t make the time or financial commitment back home to switch to solar energy in your home, you can even look at other green ways to save on your overall electricity and heating bills. One easy way is to equip your RV with portable solar panels. You might even look into small solar devices that can help relieve those heating/electricity bills, like solar chargers or a solar water heater kit.

3. Upgrade your equipment

If you’re running an old furnace, you’re probably using more energy than you need to. According to the US Department of Energy, fuel efficiency ratings for newer high-efficiency heating systems can range from 90% to 98.5%, as opposed to 56% to 70% for older, low-efficiency systems. With electricity prices becoming increasingly unpredictable of late, now might be the time to make the investment a priority.

You can also look for different ways to heat your home. We mentioned all-electric systems supported by solar panels above, but there are also heat pumps instead of stoves. Heat pumps transfer heat from outside, so they are a popular consideration in more temperate climates. Read our guide to learn more about heat pumps versus stoves.

4. Six simple tips for managing the temperature in your home

Aside from updating your appliances, playing with your thermostat, or investing in a renewable energy alternative, you can also make small changes that will help with your heating bills. These probably won’t overtake your heating bill like new appliances would, but if you feel like every little bit helps, you can try a few options like:

• Open your blinds, drapes or blinds to let the sun in during the day as it puts less stress on your stove.
• Baking or cooking at home is also an easy way to heat your home during the day.
• Install draft excluders on the doors.
• Winterize your windows with storm windows on the outside or plastic covers on the inside.
• Keep your heater vents free of dust and dirt.
• Portable, efficient space heaters can mean you lower the overall temperature but keep the room you’re in warm.

Sometimes small lifestyle choices can surprise you with how much you’ve saved on energy bills.

5. Check your home for air leaks

An incredibly important part of making sure your home doesn’t lose money in the winter is making sure your home doesn’t have any air leaks. Call the professionals to check for air leaks in your home. They will likely do a blower door test.

You may also want to insulate your house yourself and seal it against energy or heat loss. You can read more about how to do it insulate and make airtight in our guide.

A few final tips for saving

Since electricity and heating bills are the same bill for many people, you can even work on reducing your electricity consumption to meet this bill overall. Here are some resources to help you save on your electric bills:

It’s also hard to know where to save on your electricity bills without knowing what the biggest energy sinks are in your home. Enter smart sockets with energy monitoringwhich lets you see how much energy each device in your home is using and track your energy output.

If you ever move, you may want to make sure the home you buy is energy efficient. That will help eliminate the urge to scream when you open your winter energy bill as well as other utility bills in the future. This guide shows the different types of systems to look out for when looking for accommodation. There are obvious signs that the house could be energy efficient, like the huge solar panels on the roof. Some more subtle sustainability signs to look out for are water harvesting systems, water heaters and reclaimed wood.

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