How to Save on your Upcoming Winter Energy Bills

Guest Blog #212, Entry #706, October 16, 2011

Wintertime is coming with the cold winter season and high fuel heating bills.  Whether you heat your home with natural gas or propane, electrical heat or even wood – we all owe it to ourselves to keep our energy use and heating fuel costs to a minimum. Now is the time for fall time – prewinter inspection and preparation of our furnace and heating systems.  Now it’s possible in the more moderate temperatures to do the work easier. Secondly it’s off peak season for heating and air conditioning mechanics and trades people. They are available, easier to book and perhaps less costly and certainly less rushed.  You don’t have to be in the 40 below zero Winnipeg Canada wintertime weather to benefit from proper and full heating systems maintenance.  Why wait for spring – (or cold winter mechanical breakdowns). Take care of it now.

Don’t let winter’s return catch you off guard

Image courtesy ofArch Inspire

Check your Furnace

Have your oil or gas furnace serviced each and every year.  This can easily save you 10 % on heating fuel consumption. As said if you have it done early – summertime or fall seasons, many servicemen offer off-peak season rates and charges.  While the trades person is at it, have him or her check the combustion efficiency and firing rate of your furnace

Clean or replace filters

Clean or replace filters in the forced draft heating systems once a month during the heating season. Most people and home owners do this only at the start of the season. Your furnace is working during the winter season, day in day out, and it only stands to reason that the filters will fill and clog up. A full filter has impeded flow and needlessly uses more fuel to heat your home. Check your furnace filters monthly  rather than just at the start or end of season

Is your home ready for the winter chill?

Ventilators

Install attic ventilators to pull superheated air out of attics

Seal Cracks

Use “duct” tape to seal cracks and holes around windows and doors. Duct tape is a marvelous invention so to speak. While it may have had its start for sealing ventilation ducts in the heating trades it has a myriad of uses around the home.

You can easily purchase duct tape at hardware stores, big box stores and of course at heating supply outlet stores.

Ensure windows are sealed and caulked

By following these simple steps of basic heating system and furnace maintenance you will be more comfortable, less drafty have a lower wintertime fuel heating bill and charges and certainly have a lot less stress this wintertime than if you ignored these simple home maintenance tips and steps.

Lastly, power vacuuming of furnace ducts is one way that home owners can reduce winter time fuel heating costs and budgets.

Whether you have a gas or oil fired furnace all homes and office can benefit from regular and routine air ventilation cleaning and suctioning

Written by Bonnie B. Wayne, Winnipeg Power Vac Duct Cleaning and Furnasman  One Hour Winnipeg CBC Heating.

For more energy efficient ideas on Stagetecture, click here.