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Does your worry for increased gas heating bills increase with approaching winter? It's time to keep aside all such worries as a number of inexpensive and easy ways can be opted to save you from bearing outsized heating bills.
Though reducing unnecessary energy use is the easiest way to keep one safe from making a hole in the pocket, there are some wonderful ways which one can use at home absolutely free of cost to save on gas heating bills and keep those escalating energy bills at bay:
Check for Leaks in Weather Stripping and Door Thresholds
Worn weather stripping or gaping door thresholds can cause a lot of energy waste as improperly sealed homes can lead to wastage of almost 10 to 15 percent of the money spent by the homeowners on heating. So, how to save on this? Follow these quick and easy tips:
After checking for leaks and drafts in doors and windows, add weather-stripping and caulk any holes which may allow heat to escape. The most important thing to ensure is that doors are sealed properly.
Seal Vents in Ducts, Wires and Pipes
Use caulking or weather stripping to seal any kind of plumbing vents in ducts, wires or pipes that penetrate the wall or ceiling or floor. It is important as even a small hole can lead to wastage of heat energy for which you pay huge amounts.
Use Pre-Cut Foam Gaskets to Prevent Heat Leaks from Electric Wall Plugs
Use pre-cut foam gaskets for fitting in electric wall plugs and switches as these fit behind the switch plates and prove to be highly efficient in preventing any kind of heat leaks.
Save Heat by Closing Damper on Fireplace when not in Use
Close the damper on your fireplace when not in use. It helps in saving a lot of heat energy as when a fireplace is not in use, the chimney starts functioning as a large open window. It draws warm air out of the room and creates a draft. So, you can follow this effective heat energy saving tip which actually costs nothing.
Save 10% of Heating Bills by Blocking any Leakage through Heating Ducts
Check if the heating ducts of your house are not leaking as mostly such things remain ignored for years causing huge loss of heating energy. However, using duct tapes for sealing the leaking ducts doesn't prove to be useful as the sealed ductworks dry and fall over time. So, the help of a plumber should be taken to effectively mend all the leaky ducts. It's important as a field research performed by the California Energy Commission showed that around 10 percent of one's heating bills can be saved by preventing leaky ducts.
Turn Down Your Thermostat to 68 Degrees
For every degree of heat lowered in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, up to 5% can be saved on heating costs. As your health permits, you can set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower during the daytime and evening time. In fact, it can also be lowered up to 55 degrees or off at night when you leave home for a longer period. It can actually help in saving 5-20 percent of your heating costs. For this, the best solution is to install a programmable thermostat which can even save up to 15 percent on energy costs.
Replace or Clean Furnace Filters as Recommended
Dirty filters increase the usage of energy by restricting water flow. It is healthy as well as energy saving to keep your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted. It can save up to 5% of your heating bills.
Reduce Hot Water Temperature
You can set your hot water to the normal setting or 120-degrees Fahrenheit unless it requires a higher setting as per the user manual. It can help in saving up to 7-11 percent of water heating costs.
Shorten Showers
By reducing the lingering time by a few minutes, you can save hundreds of gallons of hot water per month as showers account for 2/3 of one's water heating costs. This simple remedy can reduce your water heating costs by 33 percent.
Increase Ceiling Insulation
Yes, by increasing the ceiling insulation up to R-38, you can reduce heating costs by 5-25 percent. You must consider this if your ceiling is non-insulated or scantily insulated.
Apart from these tips, the simplest and the most effective way to reduce the cost of heating energy is to let the sunshine in by opening the drapes and welcoming the natural heat energy for free.
All the above-mentioned tips are simple to follow and inexpensive to reduce huge amounts spent on your gas heating bills every winter. So, follow these tips and say goodbye to your winter bill worries!