As the warm temperatures of the summer turn into winter night chills, many area residents turn off their air conditioners and turn on the heater. In Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Pearland and other nearby cities, majority of heating systems are powered by natural gas. This means that unless residents take the time to maintain their heating systems, their monthly bills will go up.
There are ways to ensure this does not happen or when it does happen, the costs do not get out of control. Follow the simple steps below to save on your heater bills this winter.
1.Insulate your pipes
This is a simple step that can make a huge difference in your monthly utility bills. Use old newspapers, clothes or any other material you no longer need and wrap it around your pipes. This prevents your pipes from freezing which can not only have devastating consequences, but lower your hot water heating bills.
2.Reverse your ceiling fan blade directions
Reversing the direction of your fan blades allows the warmer air near the ceiling to flow down and provide additional warmth. This may lower your heating bill by as much as 10% this winter. Most modern ceiling fans come with this handy feature. As a heating professional if you are not sure how to do this.
3.Clean your heater furnace
You may need a specialist to clean your heating furnace. Cleaning, lubricating and properly maintaining your heater furnace at regular intervals not only ensures your system is safe to operate, it allows it to work optimally thereby saving you as much as 5% off your bills.
4.Reduce drafts and air leaks
Air drafts or leaks can increase your monthly bills exponentially. Simply using old clothes or bath towel under your doors or windows, weather stripping or caulking will stop warm air leaks or drafts. It will also stop cold air from flowing into your home. Your heater works less to warm your home thereby lowering your bill.
5.Use programmable thermostat
Using programmable thermostat allows you to maintain consistent temperature throughout your home thereby lowering your heating bills. It also ensures that you are not heating your home when no one is at home. It is easy to program your thermostat to turn the heater on 30 minutes or so before your family gets home.
6.Use heating service discounts
Many heating companies offer discounts on heating repair, service and maintenance. Take advantage of these as they could easily save you as much as $50 or more. Ask your service professional if they offer discounts. If they do not, look around for a company that does.
7.Call in heater maintenance professionals
Call in heating professionals to check and maintain your heating system regularly. It is advisable to have an annual heater maintenance agreement offered by many AC and heating companies. Ask your service provider about an annual maintenance agreement as this may help lower your annual bill by 20% or more.
