1. Turn your thermostat down a few degrees. Its a simple thing to do, but you can save significantly for every degree you turn down your thermostat. And like your parents said to you as a child, if youre cold put on a sweater since it will not cost you a thing.
2. Install and use a programmable thermostat. A digital thermostat not only helps you set a precise indoor temperature versus older analog models, but it also helps with keeping your heating costs down in the winter. Program the thermostat to lower the temperature significantly during the daytime when nobody is home as well as late and night when everyone is asleep in their beds.
3. Open your window coverings. Window coverings like blinds and drapes are a great way to add to your homes privacy, but they can also make your home colder in the winter months. You can literally harness the heating power of the sun by keeping your window coverings open during the daylight hours so your house stays warmer and you dont have to run the furnace as much.
4. Insulate your attic. Most people know that insulating your walls helps keep the cold air outside and the warm air inside your house, but for some reason many homeowners forget all about insulating the attic. The thing is warm air rises, so not having good insulation in the attic means the hot air in your house will literally go through the attic and out of the roof. Large icicles or ice dams on your roof are telltale signs that your attics insulation is not keeping the warm air trapped in your house.
5. Install newer windows. If your home has older windows, especially if they are single-pane models, you are literally losing heat though the glass. Many newer windows feature two or three panes and even gases between the panes that are designed to not transfer the warm air in your house to the outdoors.
6. Replace your weather stripping. All of your homes exterior doors should have sufficient weather stripping around the door jamb. The weather stripping keeps the outside air from flowing inside the house when the door is closed. If you can stand by your door and feel the outside air flowing in, you need to remove the old weather stripping and install new weather stripping.
7. Seal up cracks and gaps on exterior walls. The walls on the outside of your house should be sealed up tight, with no cracks or gaps visible in them. If you have a brick exterior and you find cracks in the masonry, you can seal them up with fresh mortar. Other cracks or holes on the exterior of a house can be sealed up with silicone caulk, but remember to apply caulk made for outdoor use. Expanding insulation is the best way to seal up cracks or gaps you find from the inside of your home. Also, check under trim pieces, especially around doors and windows, since they often hide holes and gaps you cannot otherwise see.
Sam Jones the author of this article is often asked where people should go to find information on the latest heating systems. He recommends the uSwitch price comparison website where there is a range of advice pages on energy related topics
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