This page is a continuation of the general F.A.Q. (frequently asked questions) page, with emphasis on heating-specific questions. We begin with tips on how to save money on your heating bill, then proceed to answer more specific questions. Hope you find it to be informative!
What are some helpful ways to cut heating costs in the winter and in the colder months?
A. One helpful way to maintain a low, or at least affordable, heating bill is to make sure that no large gaps exist in the door and/or windows. This ensures both that cold air doesn’t enter your home, and that the warm air produced by your radiator or central heating system doesn’t leave the home. This step is rather crucial, for if your heat is simply escaping once it has been produced, then it doesn’t matter how much heat you produce, it is simply a matter of time before it leaks. An added benefit of making sure no gaps exist in your doors is that it makes sure that no rodents or insects invade the home.
B. After checking for and fixing the gaps in the home, it’s time to move on to the electrical boxes (those little plastic coverings around the place where you plug in your devices). The reasoning behind this is the same as closing the gaps in doors and windows; cold air can enter the room(s) there and warm can escape the home there. The simplest way to close these gaps is to use a latex caulk to help close these spots. The caulk (usually a white, rubbery substance) will close the holes without interfering with the electrical pathways of your devices.
C. Very often, people find that it is more comfortable to sleep when the room is very cool. This may sound strange, given that those same people enjoy a warm home during the daytime. But think about it (you may even find yourself in this category)…at night it seems natural to cozy up with a thick blanket and pillow and (if you’re lucky) another person. This may very well be due to a natural/biological response from when we where more acquainted with sleeping on dirt and less cozy things than blankets such as rocks, etc. Nonetheless, you as well as this author find it to be true that at night we allow ourselves to be surrounded by a cool temperature. This being the case, it makes sense to turn down the central heating (or radiator) at nighttime. This is a clever and effective way to save money on your heating bill.
D. Another quite effective method of conserving heat is to focus your energy on your baking procedures. Believe it or not, leaving the oven door open after the baking has been completed is a great way to warm the home, and therefore reduce home heating costs. Besides the escaping heat from the oven, you may even let the scent of home-cooked cookies into the home’s rooms! (And if you’re a cooking fan, you might like This)
E. The attic is an often-overlooked place when considering how to best conserve heating costs. It is important to insulate the attic as best as possible in winter and in cooler months. This, as it so happens, also holds true in the summer and warmer months. This is because vacant spaces (like the attic, and in many cases, the room over the garage) serve as a barrier for cold weather, much like the multiple panes in your windows. These empty spaces are much more important than most people realize, and they serve as important buffers in the war on cold temperatures.
F. Lastly, there are several very “common sense” techniques, so common, in fact, that they need almost no mention. Nonetheless, in a Heating F.A.Q., it does seem appropriate to mention at least one or two. One of these, for example, is to make sure the door is fully shut when exiting the house, as well as after entering.
G. Light a fire! While the wood may not be exactly free, it is rather cheap, and in almost all cases, it provides a warm atmosphere for comfortable relaxation and interesting conversation. Most us have been in a house (or some other establishment) when the power goes out, and besides flashlights, candles and hearth-fires are the most common go-to source of light and warmth. And once again, the allure of the flame harks perhaps back to the most inner recesses of the human brain…back to when fire was the key to survival!
A-1 American provides air conditioning, heating, water heater and plumbing services, like electric, gas and tankless water heater repair and installation, to homes and businesses in the Hampton Roads Virginia cities of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Newport News and Hampton and north into Williamsburg. A-1 American provides emergency service and repair, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays. A-1 American charges by the job, not by the hour. A-1 American prides itself on immediate response, punctuality, courtesy and customer satisfaction.
Call today! Southside 757-425-2400 Peninsula 757-595-9900 Williamsburg 757-565-1900.
