In the coldest part of winter, you may need more than just your home’s normal heating system to keep you and your family warm. It is possible that you use a combination of your normal HVAC system as well as your fireplace (with either traditional wood or gas logs) or a space heater to make sure that you stay toasty in the chilly weather. However, if you use these “heat boosters,” what should you do with your main HVAC system? What steps should you take to make sure you are getting the highest levels of energy efficiency in your home? These tips can help make sure you stay warm, save money and be energy conscious too!
- Surprisingly, fireplaces sometimes lose more heat than they actually create. Because of this, you will probably only want to use these sparingly—perhaps when you will be gathered around it with you and your loved ones.
- Upgrade your thermostat to a programmable option. If you’re like most people, you know what your typical daily schedule will be. Installing a programmable thermostat allows you to schedule your HVAC system around that schedule and maximize the times that the system runs. If everyone in the house is away at work or school, there is no need for the system to be constantly running all day. With a programmable thermostat, you can set the system to be cooler right after you leave but warm up an hour or so before everyone arrives home. Even just a few hours during the day and overnight can add up to a nice savings at the end of each month.
- A small space heater can sometimes be a more energy efficient option than running a full HVAC unit. For instance, if you are the only person in your home and you are sitting in one, closed off room watching television, you may find that using a small space heater is the better option. However, using multiple space heaters is usually going to be less energy efficient than a normal HVAC unit. You will still want to keep your main system on, but you can lower the thermostat to help save since the other, unoccupied rooms don’t need to stay at full warmth.
- Obviously, if you can wear more layers, bundle up with blankets and drink warm beverages you will need less heat. This is a good strategy for those who are looking to reduce their bills and save on energy use at home.
- Using plenty of high-quality insulation is important whether you are heating with a full HVAC unit, fireplace or space heaters. While this can involve some more work intensive prep/installation, it will be an investment of both time and money that will certainly pay off in the end. An inexpensive way to put this to use would be to inspect, and if needed replace, the insulation surrounding your hot water heater. Maintaining a good, dry covering of insulation will help your water heater run more efficiently and help maintain water temperatures so the unit doesn’t have to work as hard to produce hot water when needed.
- While you will hopefully have your vent open when using the fireplace, after you are done and everything has aired out, make sure you close it. You do not want any extra air to get in from outside. This can make a small oversight that could lead to big difference in your monthly heating bills.
As you can see, it is possible to use your fireplace, space heater or other heating appliances in an energy conscious manner while also utilizing your HVAC system if you balance things correctly. Take some time to learn about how your particular system and devices work best so that you can make good choices. After all, you should not have to sacrifice comfort and warmth in order to keep your bills at a reasonable level and keep your energy usage at a level that is not off the charts.
